International Support Growing for Cambodian Polls Probe: Sam Rainsy

growing behind his party’s call for an independent probe into claims of fraud and other irregularities in the country’s recent elections. Speaking in Washington following his visit to Europe, Sam Rainsy said that governments and parliamentarians in the European Union, the United States and several other nations had backed demands by his Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) for an investigation into the allegations. “The EU and other countries have expressed suspicions about the election results,” said the CNRP president, whose visit to Europe last week took him to Britain, France and Belgium. …

The CNRP has held several mass protests and plans many more to push for a probe into the election irregularities and to question the legitimacy of Hun Sen’s government. Sam Rainsy arrived in the U.S. on Tuesday and met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Joseph Burns, who he said also pledged his support for the probe into irregularities, which the CNRP says includes the removal of one million voters from the electoral rolls. “He stated the U.S stance—that Washington will continue to encourage [Phnom Penh] to establish an investigation to find the truth and to promote real democracy based on the will of the people,” Sam Rainsy said. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said independent observers had noted “serious election irregularities” in the Cambodian polls. …

The CNRP president again traveled to Europe on Thursday to hold talks with Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Emma Bonino and will return to Cambodia on Oct. 22. …

 Joshua Lipes
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/probe-10172013183118.html