Sam Rainsy ruled out by the Constitutional Council on Svay Rieng votes

Cambodge Soir

27-08-2008

The judges declared the SRP request as unreasonable. The opposition party president evokes play-acting.

A request from the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) for a recount of 129 out of the 650 polling stations in Svay Rieng was rejected by the National Election Committee (NEC) on August 12. The Constitutional Council chaired by Ek Sam Ol examined the complaint on Tuesday August 26.

Sam Rainsy stated a large a number of irregularities had occurred in Svay Rieng as the names of many voters who are not CPP supporters had been deleted from the rolls. He added that these people had not changed their residential addresses. Another irregularity concerned the use of false identities by certain individuals so that they could vote in the names of others. Sam Rainsy stated that at present he has received 20,000 thumbprints of voters who were victims of irregularities.

He raised the matter that the 1104 form—which lists the voters—was established by the NEC and the CPP and do not concur with his party’s observations. He asked for a recount of the ballots in 129 of the 650 Svay Rieng polling stations. He estimated that the figures provided by the NEC are in favour of the CPP.

Sam Rainsy and his lawyer sent the relevant documents and the now famous thumbprints to the Constitutional Council. Despite this evidence the president of the hearing qualified the SRP request as unreasonable, mentioning the lack of undisputed evidence and the production of several forged documents. “ A recount is impossible” he declared.

“This hearing is as good as a theatre play and the happy ending was already written. Those responsible for these irregularities are scared, as they do not want a recount of the votes even in one polling station”, accused Sam Rainsy in the hearing room.

According to him it is highly doubtful that the CPP could have won the five seats at stake in Svay Rieng.