CNRP Walks Out of NEC Complaints Hearing

The opposition CNRP on Thursday walked out of an election complaints session at the headquarters of the National Election Committee (NEC), claiming the body was investigating complaints improperly and without the presence of its leadership. The CNRP, which has called for a transparent and independent investigation into what it says was massive fraud during the July 28 national election, said Thursday it would not accept the complaint-handling process currently being conducted by the NEC. During a hearing on election-day complaints from Kratie province, CNRP representative Kuy Bunroeun almost immediately declared the session a farce and accused the director of the NEC’s operations department, Heu Rong, of using the incorrect forms to verify complaints. “What are you verifying?” demanded Mr. Bunroeun, asking for original versions of the so-called 1102 forms—which are filled out at each polling station to record the tally at the time votes are counted and later sealed. Mr. Bunroeun claimed that officials were using unsealed 1102 forms to investigate the complaints from Kratie province. “You can’t bring an unknown 1102 form to verify,” he said. Before they are sealed, the 1102 forms are copied onto forms known as 1104s, which are handed to political parties. But the opposition says the 1104 forms cannot be trusted unless they are compared with the original, sealed 1102 forms. Although the ruling CPP and the NEC agree the ruling party won the election with 68 seats to the CNRP’s 55, the opposition has said its own counting of 1104 forms revealed it had won with a majority of 63 seats. “You have to tear open safety box A and provide it to the general public,” Mr. Bunroeun said, referring to the name given to the seal around the 1102 forms. Before storming out of the hearing, Mr. Bunroeun said that members of the NEC’s committee, headed by chairman Im Suosdey, should have been present for such a session. He referred to Article 16, point 25 of the Law on the Election of Mem­bers of the National Assembly, which states that the NEC is responsible for “deciding on all complaints and appeals relating to the election through public hearing, except complaints which fall un­der the jurisdiction of the courts.” …

Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/cnrp-walks-out-of-nec-complaints-hearing-39840/