The Mirror, Vol. 11, No. 525
“Phnom Penh: Mr. Tep Nitha, the secretary-general of the National Election Committee [NEC], said in an interview with Apsara Television that for the parliamentary election next year, the assessed budget is approximately $17 million. The budget plan has already been submitted to the government, and it is being checked by experts. He said that the NEC is preparing for the parliamentary election which will be held on 27 July 2008. The preparation of the NEC has been conducted since the end of 2006 to the beginning of 2007, at the same time of the arrangements for the commune and subdistrict council elections.
“The assessed budget for the 2008 parliamentary election is approximately $17 million. If one compares it to the previous times, except for the 1997 parliamentary election, the budget increases, and the reason of the increase is that the periods of checking of voter lists and of voter registrations are increased. Secondly, the payments for officials who conduct the voter registration are also higher. Thirdly, the number of officials to work for the election is increased, especially at the polling offices, and the low payments in the commune and subdistrict elections for officials at the polling offices caused difficulties in recruitment of officials to work. Therefore, some additional finance for daily payments for the officials at the polling offices are added. According to the assessment, the number of officials for the polling offices, who have to work for four days for the election, is more than 90,000. Comparing the costs for every voter was approximately $1.70 in 2003, in 2007 [for the commune and subdistrict council elections], the costs were reduced to $1.60 for each voter, and for the [2008] election, the costs will be up to $2 for each voter. Due to the same assessment, also the number of voters may increase to 8 million.
“As for the preparations of the NEC, there are three issues which were stressed by the secretary-general that Koh Santepheap quotes as follows:
“‘First: The cleaning of voter lists has been carried out since 2 August 2008 [sic – this must be 2007] at the commune and subdistrict offices; the commune and subdistrict councils and the commune and subdistrict clerks will publicly display the lists of voters whose names have to be eliminated from the voter lists. Therefore, the citizens, or their relatives or friends, or representatives of political parties, or non-government organizations, should go to check the names and tell the people concerned [whose names have to be eliminated] in case the selection of names to be eliminated was not appropriate. The people whose names have to be eliminated and their relatives or friends can go to protest to the commune and subdistrict clerks and ask for correction. This is the first issue and it is very important. The cleaning of voter lists has been conducted since 2 August 2007 and will continue until 20 October 2007, the people concerned can protest any time.
“‘Second: I would also like to announce that from 15 September 2007 to 20 October 2007 is the period for voter registration, therefore all citizens, especially those who have just reached the age of 18 by the day of voting and the youth who have not yet registered for voting, are being invited to register urgently for voting, though the period is long, but if we are careless, we cannot register on time; thus, please go to register urgently for voting, at the commune and subdistrict offices, or at any places in the communes and subdistricts where the commune and subdistrict clerks will inform you before [the registration] in the communes and subdistricts, where you are living, how to register for voting, because in a democratic country, elections are very important for the citizens to express their opinion on decision making, to select their representatives or their leaders for the development of the country.
“‘Third: In fact, elections cannot be conducted successfully if there is no participation from all circles. The election institution – the NEC – alone cannot demand the participation of all circles, also the authorities, relevant institutions, and non-government organizations have to cooperate for the participation of all citizens. Hence, I would like to appeal to the relevant institutions, to citizens, as well as to political parties and non-government organizations, to participate according to their roles in the arrangements for the election, so that it will be good, smooth, transparent, nonviolent, free and fair. Successful elections are a success of our entire nation, and will be a success of democracy for the development of our nation.’” Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #6140, 10.9.2007
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Monday, 10 September 2007
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1440, 9-10.9.2007
- Government Decides to Confiscate City Mall from Yuan Ta Company and Hands It Over to Khmer Investors [around Olympic Stadium – because the company abuses the contract and causes problems]
- Sam Rainsy Party Congress Selects New President Who Looks Like the Previous One [mocking that Sam Rainsy is still the president]
- Cambodia Lacks Public Libraries
- Rumors [denied by the persons concerned] Say Mr. Thaksin [Shinawatra, former Thai Prime Minister] Had Sex with a Thai Singer
Khmer Amatak, Vol.8, #514, 10.9.2007
- Samdech Krom Preah Did Not Return to Funcinpec Despite Traitors’ Deadline Ended Yesterday
- Cambodian People’s Party Busy to Seek Tricks for Vote Fraud; Siam [Thailand] and Yuon [Vietnam] Freely Violate Khmer Sovereignty
Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.1, #21, 10.9.2007
- Sam Rainsy: If Elections Are Really Conducted Free and Fair, the Cambodian People’s Party Cannot Win Over the Sam Rainsy Party
Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #6140, 10.9.2007
- NEC Plans to Ask for $17 Million to Spend on Elections; Assessment Says Number of Voters May Increase to 8 Million
- Deputy Commander of Municipal Military Police [Ret Nika] Shot Dead; Perpetrator Used Two Guns to Fire All Over the [victim’s] Car and Killed Him, Then Escaped into the Holiday [amusement] Club [one suspect arrested – Phnom Penh]
Sar Noeung Khmao, Vol.8, #218, 10-11.9.2007
- Cambodia Will Arrange International Asia Golf Matches, the Johnnie Walker Cambodia Open 2007, in Siem Reap
Sralanh Khmer, Vol.3, #500, 9-10.9.2007
- Congress Selects Sam Rainsy to Be President, Kong Korm to Be Vice-President, and Eng Chhay Ieng to Be Secretary-General [of Sam Rainsy Party]
- Parliamentarian [Son Chhay, Sam Rainsy Party from Phnom Penh] Summons Chan Sarun [Minister of Agriculture] for Questioning about Cutting of Kranhoung Trees in Kompong Thom
