B’bang ballots to be examined

The Constitutional Council yesterday ordered the opening of another batch of ballots and original documents, this time from eight contested polling stations in Battambang town, even as opposition members expressed doubt the council had the will to seriously investigate their complaints. Coming a day after the examination of the “Safety Package A” of 13 Kratie provincial polling stations – which yielded an agreement between the parties that irregularities had occurred, but little else – the announcement went on to say that the Battambang packages would be opened on Wednesday at National Election Committee headquarters. Tep Nytha, secretary-general of the NEC, confirmed its receipt of the council’s order, and said that “the representative of the Constitutional Council will preside over” the examination of the documents. However, Cambodia National Rescue Party president Sam Rainsy expressed scepticism in a press conference yesterday that the Constitutional Council would seriously investigate all of the polling stations addressed in the opposition’s complaints. He also maintained that the irregularities seen in the Kratie examination – where a number of packages meant to be sealed were opened – were proof of wider systematic vote-rigging. … Conversely, CPP lawmaker Chheang Vun maintained yesterday that the Constitutional Council’s recent decisions to examine polls’ safety packages were evidence enough it was an independent investigative body, and said that his party would continue to monitor the investigation as an observer. However, Koul Panha, executive director of election watchdog Comfrel, disagreed, saying that all parties should return to negotiations to form a joint investigative body, and that no national institution was sufficiently independent for the task. …  

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/b%E2%80%99bang-ballots-be-examined