NEC Stops Investigating Election Irregularities
The National Election Committee (NEC) said Sunday that it is no longer involved in mediating the dispute between the ruling CPP and opposition CNRP over the results of last month’s national election. The announcement came after the NEC over the weekend rejected 17 complaints related to allegations of voter fraud and electoral manipulation submitted last week by the CNRP. NEC President Im Suosdey said that complaints over the results of the July 28 national election should now be directed to the Constitutional Council of Cambodia, the body that will make the final ruling on the legitimacy of the NEC’s election results—which give the CPP an absolute majority in Parliament. “Everything is out of my hands. It is now the Constitutional Council’s responsibility,” Mr. Suosdey said when asked if the NEC would consider cooperating with further investigations into election irregularities. The NEC rejected the opposition party’s complaints, which were submitted Thursday and Friday, because they lacked sufficient evidence, according to Hoeu Rong, executive director of the NEC’s operations department. … The Constitutional Council on Friday released a statement welcoming complaints from all political parties, and CNRP chief whip Son Chhay said Sunday the opposition party had already submitted its complaints to the body on Saturday. …
Khuon Narim and Colin Meyn
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/nec-stops-investigating-election-irregularities-39974/
