Watchdogs will not observe national poll

Two major election watchdog organisations have announced that they will not register observers at the National Election Committee to monitor the upcoming national poll in July since their situation room was blacklisted. The Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia and the Committee for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia said that they have decided not to monitor the election.

“We have decided not to register our observers at the NEC, but we will observe it unofficially outside the polling stations as citizen observers,” said Sam Kuntheamy, Nicfec’s executive director. “We think this election will be carried out smoothly without much irregularity and some of our observers have resigned,” Mr Kuntheamy added.

Korn Savang, monitoring coordinator for Comfrel, said on Tuesday that his organisation decided not to observe the election because the government has banned it from gathering with key partners as it did during the June 4, 2017 commune elections. “The reason that Comfrel and other organizations decided not to observe is because the government will not allow us to create situation room, and it has put the situation room members on a list accused of aiding a colour revolution, so we are very afraid,” Mr Savang said.

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50490634/watchdogs-will-not-observe-national-poll/

 

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