The NEC wants to end the controversy

Cambodge Soir
06-08-2008

The opposition parties are challenging the election results by denouncing the fraudulent use of the 1018 form and the dubious schemes which happened during the update of the rolls.

On Tuesday 5th of August, the committee in charge of organising the elections has published a press release and focuses on two points which are shaking up the political situation since the day of the elections. Through its spokesperson, the National Election Committee (NEC) brings up questions from voters who weren’t registered and questions concerning the 1018 form.

For what concerns the NEC; the million voters who were allegedly and unduly cut from the rolls, currently proclaimed by various opposition parties, is being qualified as implausible. The spokesperson points out that: “During the last verification of the rolls in 2007, only 585,000 people were cut from the rolls for various reasons like: moving house, double registration or decease.”

The NEC wishes to emphasise that it tries to work on the rolls with “a maximum of transparency”, while admitting that this problem is of fundamental importance for the good progress of the elections and that it would make even more efforts during the next update in October 2008.

According to the opposition, the committee remains vague about the abusive use of the 1018 form which allowed voters without identification card to vote at the polling stations. The spokesperson declares having: “given the orders to the district authorities to release this document on the 26th of July only”. And in case it was drawn up during another day, it would be considered “a fake which wouldn’t be accepted”. The committee is currently working on the follow-up of the complaints filed against this form, explaining that: “these complaints will be solved fairly and in accordance with the law”.