Top Cambodian Court Wants Election Staff Punished for Ballot Foul-Up

Cambodia’s top court has ordered staff of the government-appointed national election body to be punished for mishandling secured ballot records but dismissed opposition complaints of irregularities in the July 28 national polls. The decision by the Constitutional Council of Cambodia (CCC) on Thursday came as the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) planned mass weekend protests after the authorities rejected calls for an independent group to investigate the irregularities. The court ordered the government-appointed National Election Committee (NEC), which conducted the polls, to punish its staff for unsealing election security packages in Siem Reap province, according to a statement. The CNRP has questioned preliminary results showing a victory for Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) by citing suspected tampering of election records in at least three provinces. “The NEC must be responsible before the law [and has to take action] against NEC officials at seven polling stations who were careless in doing their election work,” the court statement said, without elaborating on the form of punishment.​…

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/ballot-09052013223949.html