Cambodian National Election Committee (NEC) officers carry a bag of used ballots during a meeting to verify election results at the NEC office in Phnom Penh, Aug. 25, 2013.
AFP
AFP
The director of Cambodia’s election reform movement asked the U.S. government on Wednesday to make any financial aid to the country conditional on the implementation of planned electoral reforms.
The request by Koul Panha, director of the Committee on Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel) came after a meeting with officials of the U.S. State Department and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington, where he observed the American midterm elections this week.
“We have encouraged the U.S. State Department and USAID to pay close attention to the electoral reforms so that they should set conditions for [them] in exchange for aid to the Cambodia government,” he told RFA’s Khmer Service.
“If the U.S. [agencies] wants to help Cambodia, they must set conditions that the government must conduct electoral reforms. Electoral reforms must comply with international standards to make sure that there is a free and fair election.”
Overhauling the NEC
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) are overhauling the National Election Committee (NEC), which oversees the country’s elections, as part of an agreement reached in July to end a political standoff.
Under the agreement, the new body will consist of nine members—four from each party and one neutral member to serve as tiebreaker—and the two parties are preparing a joint proposal for parliament to endorse.
“There are possibilities that Cambodia will conduct electoral reform if the international community pays close attention,” Koul Panha said.
Chheang Von, a CNRP lawmaker, said the U.S. should not take what Koul Panha says seriously.
“I am saddened by what he told the U.S. State Department because the two parties are [still] talking and finalizing their discussions [on election reforms],” he said. “We will finish by early next year.”
Open process
Koul Panha has called for the appointment of NEC members to be open to the public rather than confined to those from the two parties.
He also has said the draft law on election reform is still sketchy because of a lack of agreement on how candidates for key positions within the NEC would be elected.
Furthermore, he has criticized the two parties for failing to decide on the body’s budget as well as their working groups for getting bogged down in issues that have slowed the process, such as the question of whether Cambodians with dual citizenship can hold NEC positions.
“We must push and put pressure on the government and the opposition party to work in order to conduct electoral reforms,” he said. ‘The process must also be open and transparent.”
So far, Prime Minister Hun Sen’s CPP and the CNRP, led by opposition leader Sam Rainsy, have completed 90 percent of a draft law to reform the country’s electoral body.
Yet, Koul Panha expressed concern about the willingness of the parties to complete the process.
“There have been many empty promises so far,” he said.
Don’t blame us
Eng Chhay Eang, a CNRP lawmaker and member of the working group that is drafting the law on the new NEC, said he supports Comfrel’s recommendation to continue pressing for reform, but noted that his party should not be blamed for any delays in the process.
“We are working to establish a good NEC, but there are some points that we can’t agree upon [with the CNRP],” he said.
The group of lawmakers working on the reforms is trying to complete the draft law by Nov. 10, he said.
“We want Cambodia to be a completely democratic country, but in order for this to happen, there must be free and fair elections and a complete reform of the NEC,” he said.
Reported by Samean Yun for RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
ស្ដាប់ ឬ ទាញយកសំឡេង
២០-មិថុនា-២០១៤៖ អ្នកចូលរួមសិក្ខាសាលាស្ដីពីការចូលរួមរបស់យុវជនក្នុងកំណែទម្រង់ការបោះឆ្នោត នាខេត្តកំពង់ចាម ពាក់អាវដែលមានអក្សរស្ដីពីការកែទម្រង់ការបោះឆ្នោត។
RFA/Saut Sokprathna
ក្រសួងការបរទេសសហរដ្ឋអាមេរិក និងទីភ្នាក់ងារអភិវឌ្ឍន៍អន្តរជាតិរបស់សហរដ្ឋអាមេរិក (USAID) សម្ដែងក្តីបារម្ភពីឆន្ទៈធ្វើកំណែទម្រង់ការបោះឆ្នោតរបស់កម្ពុជា បន្ទាប់ពីក្រុមការងារគណបក្សជាប់ឆ្នោតទាំងពីរ បន្តបង្ហាញការខ្វែងគំនិតលើសេចក្តីព្រាងច្បាប់ ស្ដីពីការរៀបចំ និងការប្រព្រឹត្តទៅនៃគណៈកម្មាធិការជាតិរៀបចំការបោះឆ្នោត (គ.ជ.ប)។
ចាប់តាំងពីចុងខែកក្កដា ឆ្នាំ២០១៤ បន្ទាប់ពីគណបក្សកាន់អំណាច និងគណបក្សប្រឆាំង យល់ព្រមចរចាបញ្ចប់វិបត្តិនយោបាយ និងកែទម្រង់ការបោះឆ្នោតមក ក្រុមការងារទាំងពីរ មិនទាន់អាចរកច្រកចេញ ដើម្បីបញ្ជូនសេចក្តីព្រាងច្បាប់ទៅរដ្ឋសភា ធ្វើការអនុម័តនៅឡើយទេ ហើយគណបក្សទាំងពីរ ក៏មិនអនុញ្ញាតឲ្យអង្គការសង្គមស៊ីវិល ឃ្លាំមើលកិច្ចប្រជុំ និងផ្តល់អនុសាសន៍ឡើយ។
សូមស្ដាប់លោក យន់ សាមៀន រាយការណ៍៖ Listen to the audio here.
1 comment:
Last year election was not free, no fair. The opposition formed the harassment gangs to harass anyone who looked smart and nice claiming they might be Vietnamese voting for Mr. Hun Sen. They forced these people to prove that they were true Khmer.
Because of such harassment, and physical confrontation and inappropriate, excessive touching, searching, shoving, a lot of people who would have voted for Mr. Hun Sen stayed home.
That's why suddenly CPP lost a lot of seats last year. But Mr. Hun Sen was not petty over a few lost seats. He decided to move on. But next election, he will make sure the opposition folks not to harass the voters again.
I say, use the batons on the opposition. We all know the opposition has a habit of self-appointing themselves with roles then use these bogus roles to cause troubles.
-Drgunzet-
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