Civil Society Organizations to Push for Electoral Overhaul
As the dispute over July’s national election enters its fourth month, a civil society umbrella organization, the Electoral Reform Alliance (ERA), is due to release a comprehensive report on widespread irregularities recorded during the ballot. The report will be followed by the drafting of a proposed law to regulate elections, and a grassroots campaign to rally support for voting reforms, Laura Thornton, resident director of the U.S.-based National Democratic Institute, which is part of the alliance, said Monday. “This will tap into some of the unhappiness over the election results and actually create a grassroots demand for reform, and will feed nicely into government pledges to make reforms,” said Ms. Thornton, adding that investigations conducted by the ERA would be used to improve the electoral system for future elections, not to change the results of this year’s election. … The CPP committed in principal to electoral reforms after top-level negotiations with the opposition last month, but have yet to outline what these will entail. An election reform seminar is planned by the ruling party in December. Ms. Thornton said that ERA, which also includes the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia and Transparency International Cambodia, would be pushing for the “complete overhaul” of the electoral system. …
Colin Meyn
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/civil-society-organizations-to-push-for-electoral-overhaul-46140/
