NEC Official Observes Election From Inside
As America’s presidential election got underway Tuesday, a member of Cambodia’s National Election Committee compared notes with other o
As America'spresidential election got underway Tuesday, a member of Cambodia's National Election Committee comparednotes with other officials from 40 countries in Washington. Officials attended the conference, organized by theInternational Foundations for Electoral Systems, "to observe the experiences ofthe USelection," said Sin Chum Bo, vice chairwoman of the NEC. "Common issues"including registration and other election hurdles were discussed, she said. The Election Program offered a chance for participants to"bring back to their countries knowledge gained from their comparativeinternational experiences," IFEC spokesman Jeff Bradley said by e-mail. Participants observed the Nov. 4 presidential election frompolling stations, Sin Chum Bo said, adding that many USexperiences were not applicable to Cambodia's culture, history, lawsor knowledge of the people. She cited as examples the ability of US parties to campaignto the very end of an election, and the ability of overseas Americans to votethrough absentee ballots, neither of which happen in Cambodia. The USelection had fewer observers than Cambodia, while Americans vote bytouch screen computers. Koul Panha, director of the Committee for Free and FairElections, said information exchanges such as this were good, but moreimportant was how the NEC, often accused of bias, will apply the lessons. "I think we can learn from the US," he said. "One of the mostimportant [aspects] in the USis transparency in campaign funding. In the US each candidate opens theirincome and expense budget while campaigning. The NEC should push for allpolitical parties to open."