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Fund for Reconciliation and Development

Press Release

Cambodia Election Field Report #1                                                                 July 22, 2003

Cambodian Campaign Nears Close,
Shows Major Improvements over Previous Elections

On July 27, Cambodia will hold its third national parliamentary election since the 1991 Paris Peace Accords. For the past week, leaders of the International Volunteer Observers (IVO) team have met with officials of the major Cambodian political parties, the US and Canadian Embassies, NGOs and human rights groups and visited key provinces such as Kampot, Takeo, Kandal and Svay Rieng. While the pre-election period has not been problem-free, our findings demonstrate progress in many important areas, including the following:

 (1)   General atmosphere. The campaign has been considerably less tense than during the last parliamentary elections in 1998. All parties are campaigning freely, particularly in urban areas, but also in the countryside. Provincial all-candidate debates (sponsored by the US National Democratic Institute) have been well-attended and effective. Candidates are focusing on the issues to a greater extent than in the past, and inter-party criticism is more open.

 (2)   Security and safety. There appears to be a generally secure environment for the campaign. However, there were 11 murders in the pre-campaign period, 2-3 of them confirmed to have been politically motivated, followed by 5 more killings in the first week of the campaign. Following appeals for peace from the King and party leaders, violence has lessened and is at a much lower level than in 1998 or 2002.

 (3)   Coercion and vote-buying. While the IVO delegation has not witnessed any instances of coercion first-hand, we have heard stories of harassment of candidates and activists, destruction of property, or seizure of voting cards in several rural villages. These appear to be localized issues, not pervasive incidents as alleged in past campaigns.

 (4)   Election administration. The National Election Commission (NEC) is operating competently, transparently and openly. However, it does not use its power to investigate and punish alleged cases of violations of the law. The provisions of the election law are well known in advance of the election and agreed on by all contesting parties.

 (5)   Media. Access to media for all parties has improved since 1998. While major television and public radio stations are government-owned, the junior coalition partner and largest opposition party have their own media outlets and are doing an effective job of reaching voters.

Written by Andrew Wells-Dang in Phnom Penh <andrew@ffrd.org>