UN Rights Envoy Subedi Says Electoral Reform Inadequate

Nearly all of the recommendations regarding electoral reform made by U.N. human rights envoy to Cambodia Surya Subedi were not put into place ahead of last month’s national election. In his latest report to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, released last week, Mr. Subedi said that in addition to a number of concerns over strength­ening the judicial and parliamentary systems were those “in relation to the context in which the elections are taking place, some of which might not be conducive to a free and fair outcome.” The report, which was written after missions to Cambodia in December 2012 and May, also says that Mr. Subedi regretted that “most of his recommendations with regard to electoral reform have not been acted upon” and that public confidence in the voting process and the results would, therefore, likely be undermined. “Specifically, the Special Rapporteur continues to have concerns over the independence of the NEC, freedom of expression…concerns over the integrity of the voter list, reports of intimidation of voters, and a general lack of transparency in the electoral process,” he said, referring to himself in the third person. … NEC Secretary-General Tep Nytha said Monday that he had heard of the report and had been given an idea of its contents by fellow officials. However, he said many of Mr. Subedi’s recommendations would entail a change to the law. “The recommendations and concerns of Surya Subedi are over the limit of what the NEC can do,” he said. “If Surya Subedi wants the NEC to follow his recommendations, it has to amend the rule of law first and then the NEC follows the law.”

 Lauren Crothers
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/un-rights-envoy-subedi-says-electoral-reform-inadequate-40195/