There is no sign of intimidation, coercion and violence during the 5th Mandate Commune/Sangkat Council Election in Cambodia yesterday.
The remarks were made by a delegation of international observers from the International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace (IPTP) led by Honorable (H.E) Shamsul Iskandar Bin Mohd Akin and H.E. Hussain Mohamed Latheef at a press conference held here this morning.
“We appreciated the Cambodian government’s and the National Election Committee (NEC)’s endeavors in ensuring safety and security for voters, members of political parties, the election staff, members of the media and local and international observers before, during and after the election. The Election Commission had been very prepared and organised for this election. The IPTP delegation along with other local and international observers, representatives from various political parties and civil society organisations also monitored the vote counting process, which indicated high degree of inclusiveness and transparency,” the delegation said in a statement released at the press conference.
The IPTP delegation congratulated the Cambodian people, the NEC and over nine million registered voters and other relevant institutions for successfully conducting a free, fair, secrete and credible Commune/Sangkat Election. They witnessed a sincere desire from the voters to exercise their rights in a peaceful and democratic manner. They were also able to speak to some of the voters at the polling stations and found that information on voting and the rights of voters have been informed to the public.
On election day, June 5, 2022, the IPTP delegation visited several polling stations in the capital city of Phnom Penh and observed that it is generally well organised, effective and peaceful. “We were impressed by a large voter turnout and observed that the voters were casting their ballot in an open and free environment,” they said.
More importantly, they underlined, the voters appeared to be enthusiastic and happy to take part in the election process. There was no sign of intimidation, coercion and violence. Furthermore, the election staff that was selected through a transparent and competitive process performed their job with a high degree of integrity and professionalism.
“Indeed, we have observed that the NEC has followed a lot of procedures under the International Guidelines. However, we would recommend the NEC to give more trainings to officials at the polling stations with demonstrations and exercises, provide accessibility for people with disabilities and those who require special assistance as well as displaying voters lists on a wall or board at the polling station,” the delegation added.
On June 4, 2022, the IPTP delegation called on Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Hun Sen and was also briefed by representatives from the NEC and other key speakers on a range of issues concerning the election process as well as the general situation and democratic development in the country.
Source: Agency Kampuchea Press