Government
Elections
Amid chaos, time for CNRP to get serious
Late last year, in one of his provocative Facebook posts from abroad, opposition leader Sam Rainsy falsely accused Heng Samrin’s 1980s regime of sentencing King Norodom Sihanouk to death. ...
Alex Willemyns
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/amid-chaos-time-for-cnrp-to-get-serious-116190/
Election rules under discussion
The National Election Committee and election monitoring groups have been discussing regulations including permission for the taking of photographs and videos at polling stations ahead of local elections scheduled for June 2017 and a general election slated for 2018. ...
Hean Socheata
http://www.voacambodia.com/a/election-rules-under-discussion/3437146.html
New parties to register
As Cambodia inches closer to the 2017 commune elections, the Interior Ministry has implored all of the Kingdom’s political parties to get their affairs in order and finish the necessary paperwork so their organization is listed on the ballot. ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/27603/new-parties-to-register/
Poll observers wary of potential intimidation
With voter registration due to start in six weeks, independent election monitoring organisations said yesterday that the current political climate and recently enacted legislation has them fearing for the safety of their observers. ...
Jack Davies
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/poll-observers-wary-potential-intimidation
Red tape ‘delays’ NEC computers
With less than two months before voter registration is due to start for the upcoming commune elections, the delivery of vital computer equipment has reportedly been delayed by two weeks due to an import duty bungle, while only a fraction of the required workers have ...
Bun Sengkong and Erin Handley
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/red-tape-delays-nec-computers
Army to guard voting stations
Voters in next year’s elections will now have to make their choices under the watchful eye of the army after the government issued a decree yesterday establishing permanent military forces at national and sub-national election sites between 2016 and 2019. ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/27376/army-to-guard-voting-stations/
NEC announces schedule for meetings with donors
The National Election Committee yesterday released a monthly meeting schedule with the European and Japanese embassies in a bid to ensure the voter-registration process, due to begin September 1, will go smoothly. ...
Bun Sengkong
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/nec-announces-schedule-meetings-donors
Japan confirms NEC funding
Japan will continue funding the National Election Committee (NEC) ahead of the upcoming commune and national elections, despite growing international concern over Cambodia’s deteriorating political climate. ...
Taing Vida
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/26900/japan-confirms-nec-funding/
Election staffing set to kick off on Wednesday
Recruitment of 741 short-term contract staff to help prepare for next year’s commune elections will begin on Wednesday, according to the National Election Committee’s spokesman. ...
Vong Sokheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/election-staffing-set-kick-wednesday
NEC pledges to allow vetting of voter lists
National Election Committee (NEC) spokesman Hang Puthea yesterday promised the body would release electoral lists for vetting after it finished registering voters, but conceded the process faced a tight deadline. ...
Bun Sengkong
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/nec-pledges-allow-vetting-voter-lists
CNRP asks Germany for help in mediation
The CNRP said on Wednesday that Germany’s visiting minister for economic cooperation and development agreed to relay a message to the E.U. seeking help in mediating a resolution to current political tensions in Cambodia between the opposition and ruling CPP. ...
Sek Odom
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cnrp-asks-germany-for-help-in-mediation-114178/
Hun Sen says no discussions with the CNRP
Prime Minister Hun Sen told a local media outlet on Sunday that the ruling CPP would not engage in any talks with the opposition CNRP over the jailing of its officials and supporters or recent moves by police to arrest deputy opposition leader Kem Sokha. ...
Ben sokhean
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/hun-sen-says-no-discussions-with-cnrp-114010/
NEC sets voter registration dates
After multiple delays, the National Election Committee yesterday released its schedule for voter registration, giving itself three months to register the close to 9.6 million eligible voters across the country. ...
Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/nec-sets-voter-registration-dates
Capital police vow to keep order as activists prepare to deliver petition to King
Opposition activists from across Cambodia are expected to descend on Phnom Penh today, bringing a petition for CNRP lawmakers to deliver to the King, even as the National Assembly’s permanent committee determines whether to allow a criminal case against the party’s acting president, Kem Sokha, ...
Meas Sokchea, Chhay Channyda and Shaun Turton
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/capital-police-vow-keep-order-activists-prepare-deliver-petition-king
Hun sen calls on voters to register
Prime Minister Hun Sen has urged citizens to register for the upcoming commune elections to ensure accuracy, transparency and to avoid complications when assembling voter lists. ...
Taing Vida
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/25412/hun-sen-calls-on-voters-to-register/
Hun Sen announces voter registration push
After setting a date this week for next year’s commune elections, Prime Minister Hun Sen used a speech on Wednesday to urge officials to speed up work to ensure that 2 million people without new identification cards are able to obtain one by election day ...
Kuch Naren
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/second2/hun-sen-announces-voter-registration-push-113045/
Commune elections set for June 4 next year
Next year’s commune council elections will be held on June 4, according to a decision signed on Tuesday by Prime Minister Hun Sen, marking the first nationwide ballot since the 2013 election that led to the reform of the National Election Committee (NEC). ...
Kuch Naren
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/second2/commune-elections-set-for-june-4-next-year-112987/
Kofi Annan foundation head visits to talk election reform
Alan Doss, executive director of former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s eponymous foundation, met with officials from the CPP, CNRP and National Election Committee (NEC) on Monday as the first step in the body’s efforts to help election reform here. ...
Khy Sovuthy and Kuch Naren
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/kofi-annan-foundation-head-visits-to-talk-election-reform-112949/
NEC seeks regular meetings to dispel bias suspicions
Cambodia’s election body has called for regular meetings with political parties, journalists and civil society organisations (CSOs) in a bid to stave off suspicions of bias as two of its non-CPP aligned officials face prosecution. ...
Bun Sengkong and Erin Handley
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/nec-seeks-regular-meetings-dispel-bias-suspicions
If Rong Chhun goes, CPP can veto any new NEC member
Any appointments to the National Election Committee (NEC) to replace CNRP-appointed Rong Chhun, who now faces a criminal trial for “intentional violence,” would have to be approved by the ruling CPP under current laws, a lawmaker said on Thursday. ...
Kuch Naren and Alex Willemyns
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/if-rong-chhun-goes-cpp-can-veto-any-new-nec-member-112828/
Registration of voters bumped back again
National Election Committee spokesman Hang Puthea yesterday maintained that the country remains on track to hold commune elections in June 2017 despite the body again postponing the registration of voters in a new digital system because necessary equipment had not yet been acquired. ...
Bun Sengkong
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/registration-voters-bumped-back-again
Cambodian journalists to receive training in the US
Cambodian journalists will visit the U.S. to observe the presidential election in November to learn from their American colleagues’ experience of covering the polls, a media development group has said. ...
Say Mony
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/cambodian-journalists-to-receive-training-in-the-us/3313932.html
CNRP prohibited from erecting TV Antenna
Authorities in Kandal province’s Takhmao City have banned the opposition CNRP from erecting a television antenna on land they purchased there for what is meant to be Cambodia’s first opposition-aligned station—a key element of the July 2014 political deal. ...
Kuch Naren and Alex Willemyns
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cnrp-prohibited-from-erecting-tv-antenna-111850/
NEC says commune elections likely for June 2017
National Election Committee (NEC) Secretary-General Tep Nytha said on Thursday that next year’s crucial commune council elections would likely be held in June but that the decision must ultimately come from the government. ...
Kuch Naren
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/nec-says-commune-elections-likely-for-june-2017-111642/