STATEMENT OF APA ON THE 2018 NATIONAL ELECTION IN CAMBODIA
The election observation delegation of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) coordinated by Honorable Dr. Ali Khorram, Deputy APA Secretary-General and accompanied by 13 delegates observed the national election in Cambodia on 29 July 2018. We were invited by the National Election Committee (NEC) through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Royal Government of Cambodia,
In Cambodia, APA delegation met Prime Minister Hun Sen, the Chairman of Senate, Minister of Interior and leaders of three political parties including the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and the National United Front for an Independent, Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC) and League for Democracy Party (LDP). The APA delegation also met with representatives from the NEC and experts on Cambodian politics.
The APA delegation was briefed on political situation in Cambodia and importantly the election process that the country genuinely practices since the early 1990s. We witnessed progress in Cambodia’s democracy, good governance and freedom. The most notable example is the reform to the NEC, the adoption of new Election Law and amendments of Political Party Law, which aim to strengthen the rule of law and to build public trust and confidence in the country.
According to the NEC, 8,380,217 people aged 18 and above or 84.8 percent registered for the 6th national election. The APA delegation also learned that with the support from Japan and the European Union, the registration process was done by biometric technology. The use of such technology in election process is extremely useful and it helps address the issues of missing and duplicate names, among others. This is definitely another major milestone in Cambodia’s commitment and determination in hosting a free, fair and credible election.
Today the APA delegation visited random polling stations in different locations. We noticed a large turnout at those polling stations. People were seen to cast their votes in a free, fair and confidential manner. There were no signs of intimidation and coercion. In addition, the NEC staff did their job in a professional, transparent and independent manner. Local and international election observers were also allowed to effectively perform their task.
From 3 pm when all polling stations were closed, the APA delegation also witnessed the vote counting process, which was transparent and open. Representatives from political parties and local and international observers were present during the vote counting process. In some polling stations, local and international media were also invited to provide unimpeded coverage of the vote counting process and broadcast it throughout the country.
The APA delegation considers this election as free, fair, credible and transparent. Therefore, we advise all the political parties and their supporters to respect the decision of the Cambodian people. Moreover, we are confident that all the political parties would be able to resolve their conflicts through peaceful, amicable and win-win manner. All the political parties must put national interest ahead of themselves and their parties.
The APA delegation noticed the authorities’ efforts in ensuring the safety and security of voters, members of political parties, local and international observers, members of the media and civil society organizations. The election was conducted in calm, stable and peaceful maner. Political parties are more mature and they give priority to dialogue and nonviolent confrontation as a means to resolve their differences.
The APA delegation believes that Cambodia is on the right path to strong and genuine democracy, which is also the aspiration of millions of people, especially youth who account for nearly 70 percent of the entire population. The fact that Cambodia absolutely committed to multiparty election as a means to compete for public office is a true testimony to the Cambodian people’s strong belief in democracy.
The Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) was born in 2006 at the Seventh Session of the Association of Asian Parliamentary for Peace (AAPP). In other words, the APA is continuation of an organization which was established in 1999. The APA comprises, in 2007, of 42 Member Parliaments and 16 observers. Each Member Parliament has a specific number of seats in the Assembly based on the size of their population. The number of total seats, and therefore, number of votes, is currently 206. Members of Assembly must be elected by members of the Member Parliaments. The APA Charter and Tehran Declaration lay out a framework of cooperation among Asian countries, and point out to a vision; that is Asian Integration.
Phnom Penh
29 July 2018
- 30 July 2018
- Visited: 20556
- News ID: 3950
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