Issue Papers
on COPCELPROM in
Mondulkiri, Stung Treng and Rattanakiri
April 2-6, 2006

Since last year 2005, COPCELPROM (Copcel Provincial Meetings) has organised meetings that were held in Takeo, Kampot, Sihanoukville, Kampong Speu, Kandal, Mondulkiri, Stung Treng and Rattanakiri. On July 3, 2006 (?) a meeting will be held in Koh Kong province and. iIn next August COPCELPROM will be conducted held in Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Pailin, Pursat and Kampong Chhnang.

IUp to now, in order to disseminate the outcomes of COPCELPROM's outcomes among our our international partners, the CDRI’s COPCEL Secretariat until now has provided a summary-translation of COPCELPROM's Khmer minutes. Being awareIn response to our awareness that CDRI's our international partners and other stakeholders have tomust read a huge volume of manage a huge amount of reading documents, from now on the COPCEL’s Secretariat from now on will summarize the outcomes of COPCELPROM meetings into a short document called "COPCELPROM Issues Papers". Our international partners and other stakeholders will continue to receive the transcribed Khmer transcription mMinutes of all COPCELPROM meetings so that their Cambodian staff could eventuallywill be able to check details of discussions if there is a needthe need arises. Those mMinutes will also be also available to the public through the CDRI library.

We hope that this new information dissemination format will be satisfactory to all recipients. The COPCEL Secretariat welcomes with sincere thanks any comments, remarks or advice from all.

Issues/Provinces Mondulkiri, April 3, 2006 Stung Treng Rattanakiri

1. NGO Observers

In 2003, some NGOs had lured people to buy an NGO Observer Card and then fled. Some NGOs just ran away after receiving paymentmoney.

---> The NEC's decision not to renew the mandate of the NGO Coordination Committee's mandate is thus justified.

   

2. Political conflict during election campaign

In the past, during the election campaign, any violent event or incidentce was interpreted, or exploited by activists or parties’ party members, as beinghaving politically motivated reason.

---> Strong appeal to all actors, especially NGO activists and parties’ agentsparty representatives, to be cautious in reporting such events or incidentsce.

   

3. Weak Limitations in the capacity of parties’ agentparty representatives and NGO observers

During the voting and counting processes, parties’ agentsparty representatives and NGO observers did not have enoughhad insufficient capacity to interpret and implement the NEC's rules and regulations.

---> Strong recommendation to the NEC for to organizing organize joint training sessions with NEC officers, parties’ agentsparty representatives and NGO observers.

   

4. National ID cards

There are two problems in with this issue. First, in rural areas, people have difficulty to in providinge their photographs for ID cards. Secondly, police officers take money from the people before issuing ID cards. The amount varies from one area to another.

---> Recommendation to the National Police Commissioner to have a strong control mechanism over for controlling officers in charge of this matter.

---> Praise the MOI for having launched the 2006 national campaign to deliver ID to the remaining 1.,9 million eligible citizens.

R

Debating the same issue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Changing name or its spelling

In rural areas, particularly the nNortheast, many people – even the cCommune cCouncil members –- have are in the habit to of either changing e their names or the spelling of their names, or their entire names, thus creatingwhich creates many problems in for the voter registration process and in the issuance of the national ID cards.

---> Joint efforts between government authorities, political parties and NGOs to educate and raise the people's awareness of the people inof this matterissue.

---> Strengthening the capacity effectiveness of the cCommune cCouncils and the cCommune cClerks in the performance of their job performancess.

R

Debating the same issue

R

Debating the same issue

6. Party ies’ agents representatives leaving counting rooms

In past elections, whenafter knowing realising that their parties had lost the elections, the agents representatives left the counting rooms before the end of the process, thus and so failed to sign the 1105 form as required by the NEC regulations.

---> All partyies’ agents representatives must strictly abide strictly by the NEC rules and regulations.

   

7. Roles of the PECs and CECs still not clear enoughinsufficiently clear

Heads of PECs (Provincial Election Committees) and CECs (Commune Election Committees) feel that their roles or job descriptions are sometimes not very clear, thus which preventing prevents them from correctly managing problems when they arise.

---> The NEC should come up withdevelop clearer roles and responsibilitiesy of for the PECs and CECs.

   

8. Poor capacityInability of PECs and CECs toin settleing disputes

While many PECs and CECs officials have been competent in the performance of their dutiesbeen performing their tasks with competence, many are still lacking the capacity to settle complaints in satisfactorilyy way.

---> In settling election disputes, there is general feeling that the NEC, as a whole, is still very weak. The election law itself provides many loopholes. There isIt is acknowledgement acknowledged that the issue is complex. Nevertheless, the NEC should make more effort to train its officials, especially at the PEC and CEC levels.

---> It is sStrongly recommendation recommended to that the NEC should to organizinge joint training sessions with its officers (at national and sub-national levels), and with party representativesies’ agents and NGO observers.

---> The NEC should consider to appointing a district election-advisor to assist the cCommune cCouncillors and the commune clerks.

R

Debating the same issue

 

9. Disputes during election campaign

There were many instances of conflicts during the election campaign. Parties did not respect the agreed schedules and they did not apply self-restraint principle in their public speeches or statements.

---> NEC should more strictly implement more strictly its rules and regulations regarding the election campaign. The NEC should not rely too much on conciliatory approaches;, to some some extent, sanctions should be used againstapplied to parties that do not follow the regulations.

----> Parties must abide by the Code of Conduct they have agreed to sign jointly.

R

Debating the same issue

 

10. Women

The pParticipation of women in the politics, especially at the sub-national level, is still weak. Women do not receive appropriate support and encouragement from their familiesy, the community and theor society. Political parties do not yet make yet all necessaryevery effort to promote their women members.

---> Joint and wide broad campaign to promote the importance involvement of women in the politics of the country particularly at the grassroots level.

---> All parties should have the political will to put prioritise women candidates in well-placed order in the candidate lists.

---> Specific training sessions should be provided to women candidates and once they are elected.

  R

Debating the same issue

11. Donations and gifts

Many candidates have used donations and gifts to buy their votes. Donations could bearcan appear in many forms, and. This could favour rich and big powerful parties, while disadvantaging small parties.

---> Natural disasters like flood or drought should be the only exception to this rule, with where aid distribution could be being allowed in these circumstances. All other forms of donation should be prohibited.

---> The NEC should be stricter in relation toin this matter.

   
 

 

Mondulkiri

Stung Treng, April 04, 2006

Rattanakiri

12. Complaint settlements

 

The NEC relies too much on reconciliation –- "Samrob Samruol"

---> The NEC should increasingly use more its power to apply sanctions power otherwise it will beto stop it losing its credibility.

R

Debating the same issue

13. Workload during the formal registration of voters

 

DIn October, during the 20-day formal registration period in October, the cCommune cCouncils and the cCommune clerks are were under tremendous great demands from by many institutions for to conduct workshops, seminars, training sessions, and produce administrative documents etc and so on. ..They do not receive enough sufficient incentives to perform these extra worksduties.

---> Relating Related institutions like such as the MOI, Provincial Offices, Seila Task Force, and relevant NGOs should review their annual planning to avoid having the any involvement of any cCommunes members and clerks during the official October registration period in October.

---> Appropriate incentives should be provided to concerned cCommune cCouncil members and cCommune cClerks to encourage them to perform better during the voter registration process.

 

14. Information dissemination

 

There is a general feeling that although the NEC has made efforts to disseminate the election-related information to the voters, it this is still not enough.

---> Request that NGOs and political parties join the NEC to widely disseminate the information widely.

---> The information cards sent to a sample of voter groups, pilot-tested by the NEC, may constitute a correct approach but it is still too early for makingto make any judgment on itabout it.

---> Request that for CDRI to organiszes more COPCELPROM meetings.

 

15. Voting stations in private residences

 

In 2003, two voting stations were located in private residences where owners were members of the ruling parties. At that time, Ddue to a flood situation at that time, the PEC, in agreement with all political parties, was forced to adopt that this solution.

---> Request that in future elections, voting stations will be located in on neutral ground. The PEC has promised to find neutral locations for the coming 2007 commune election and the 2008 national election.

 

16. PEC and CEC officials

 

In the past, the selection process for selectingof PEC and CEC officials was not very clear. Many relatives were selected.

---> Request that the NEC implements a more open and transparent procedures.

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Debating the same issue

17. Transportation problems

 

During the rainy seasons iIn this nNortheast part of the country, during the rainy seasons, it is very difficult for the people to register or to vote.

---> Ask the NEC if is there any possibility to of avoid the rainy seasons for the registration and the voting processes being conducted outside the rainy season.?

 

18. Presence of the local authorities around the voting stations

 

In During past elections, the presence of district and Commune commune cChiefs around the voting stations hasve intimidated the voters who were not members of the ruling party. This presence is perceived as making the election process not free and fair.

---> Request to the representative of the provincial governor's representative to take measures prohibiting those local officials from stationing themselves around the voting booths once they have cast their votes.

 
 

Mondulkiri

Stung Treng

Rattanakiri, April 05, 2006

     

On the ID card issue, request that the ID card campaign be linked to other registration processes (birth and death certificates, change of residence, wedding certificates etc...)

There are Vietnamese immigrants holding Cambodian ID cards.

 

 

   

On the gender issue, in addition to what were has already been requested, recommend that most scholarships be provided largely to indigenous women students.

19. Weak capacity of cCommune clerks

   

Although the NEC has delegated power to the cCommune cCouncils and the commune clerks to register the voters, their capacity is still very limited.

---> The NEC should provide more training sessions to them in this part of the country.

20. Rights of the monks

   

Do the monks have the rights to vote? It This is not clear because although the cConstitution provides monks with the right to vote to the monks, theis issue has been politicized by the supreme patriarch.

---> The NEC should provide have a clear positiona clear stand on this issue.