Constitutional Council Upholds Rejection of Election Complaints

The Constitutional Council of Cambodia on Tuesday upheld the decision by the National Election Committee (NEC) to reject four complaints from the opposition CNRP of election irregularities during the July 28 poll. The Constitutional Council sent four separate letters to CNRP representatives Nou Chamroeun and Ruos Suo saying that the council had met Tuesday and rejected the four appeals made by the opposition against the NEC’s decision to reject the complaints earlier this month. “The Constitutional Council thinks that the letter dated August 10, 2013, from the National Election Committee properly complies with the law,” each letter says, referring to letters previously sent by the NEC rejecting the complaints. The letters do not elaborate on the allegations of irregularities, but refer to two cases each in Phnom Penh and in Siem Reap province. The complaints were not made with regard to the NEC’s preliminary election results—which show the ruling CPP taking 68 seats to the CNRP’s 55—but in­stead concern alleged problems on polling day. “Today’s meeting is not to resolve the complaints against the preliminary election [results],” said Uth Chhorn, spokesman for the Constitutional Council, adding that eight members of the nine-member body had attended Tuesday’s meeting. … Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia, said Tuesday that the council’s rapid decision-making on its first day of reviewing complaints risked painting the body as a rubber stamp for decisions made by the NEC. …

 Kuch Naren
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/constitutional-council-upholds-rejection-of-election-complaints-40383/