Negotiations Falter After Election Results Released
Negotiations between the ruling CPP and opposition CNRP over an investigation into election irregularities stalled Monday after the National Election Committee (NEC) released official preliminary election results that supported the ruling party’s claim of victory in the July 28 election. In an initial round of talks at the National Assembly on Friday, representatives of the two parties agreed that the U.N. could monitor the investigation into what the CNRP claims was widespread manipulation of voter lists and outright fraud engineered by the CPP and the NEC. But the two sides failed to come to an agreement over the composition of a body that would actually conduct an investigation and act as a mediator between the two parties to break the current political impasse. The lead negotiators for both parties said Monday they were waiting for the other side to make the next move, and were unsure of when talks between the two parties would resume. “I don’t think the NEC would dare make such a decision [to release election results] without consulting with the CPP. If that is the case, there is no doubt that the CPP has changed their strategies from displaying to the public that they are likely to commit themselves to an investigation,” said CNRP chief whip Son Chhay. Mr. Chhay said that the two parties agreed during Friday’s talks to sideline the NEC, which is widely viewed as being CPP-aligned, and return to their respective camps to discuss with their party leaders what their conditions would be for the formation of an investigative body before holding further talks. … But senior CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap, the party’s lead negotiator in the talks, said the CPP had already submitted a list of candidates—all members of the ruling party—to the NEC and was now waiting for the CNRP to submit its recommendations. “We are now waiting for the NEC to call us to meet,” Mr. Yeap said, refuting Mr. Chhay’s claim that the CPP had agreed to join an investigation outside the authority of the NEC. …
Neou Vannarin and Colin Meyn
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/negotiations-falter-after-election-results-released-39264/
