Monitors Say Ink Test Was for Transparency, Not Turmoil
Election monitors say a test of election ink that found it easily washable, and therefore a concern for fraudulent voting, was made in the spirit of transparency, and not to create “turmoil” ahead of Sunday’s polls.
The election watchdog Comfrel on Friday tested the ink, provided by the National Election Committee, and found it could be easily washed off the fingers of voters, which would allow some people to vote more than once. Typically, voters are required to dip an index finger in indelible ink, which prevents them from voting again. But Comfrel staff found the ink was easy to wash off within “minutes.”
The weak ink adds concerns over the credibility of the elections, which have already been criticized for a number of irregularities, including apparently inflated voter lists and problems in the issuance of voter IDs, among others. …
Countering the ink claims, NEC President Im Soursdey told reporters Saturday that the ink is of high quality and cannot be washed off easily, especially after it dries. “After dipping, when there is sun and water, it cannot be easily removed,” he said. Monitors should take note of election irregularities and report them to local election officials at polling sites, he said.
NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha told reporters the ink was not the only safeguard for voting. Voting lists exist to prevent double voting and there are voter IDs to be checked, he said. “So the indelible ink is a part of it,” he said. “Don’t worry too much about this issue.” …Sunday’s elections are being watched closely by donors and outside observers. Critics of Prime Minister Hun Sen and the ruling party say the elections are biased in their favor, including favoritism by the National Election Committee.
In Washington on Saturday, US Republican Representative Ed Royce, who chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, noted that the election process has been called “fundamentally flawed” by rights groups. …
