Low Turnout, Faulty Lists Sully Election
Unofficial results late Sunday showed the ruling Cambodian People's Party with enough seats to form a government and pass important leg
Low voter turnout and the absence of many names fromregistries darkened a quiet day of voting Sunday, as millions of Cambodianssought to elect members of the National Assembly and a government that willrule for the next five years. Unofficial results showed the ruling Cambodian People'sParty with enough seats to form a government by itself, as well as passconstitutional amendments and quorum without cooperation from other parties. As polling wrapped up Sunday, unofficial results showed the CPPleading with an estimated 91 seats, followed by the Sam Rainsy Party with 26, Human Rights Party with three, andNorodom Ranariddh Party with two. Only one seat was reported late Sunday for thegovernment's coalition partner, Funcinpec. These results would mean the National Assembly would have five parties for the first time since the 1993 Untac election. Official results for the election are not expected for at least a month. A new law this election requires the holding of 50-percent-plus-oneseats, or 63 seats, to form a ruling government. It also requires a two-thirdsmajority, or 82 seats, for constitutional amendment and quorum. In Phnom Penh,many shops were shuttered and the normally bustling boulevards were relativelystill, while on neighborhood side streets, Cambodians in ones and twos strolledto and from polling sites. Across the country, voters reported an inability to casttheir ballots, as names of individuals or entire families were missing fromlocal registries at polling places. More than 8.1 million voters had registered for the nationalelection, but monitors feared only around 70 percent participated,following similarly low turnout in the 2007 commune election. More than 83 percent of registered voters took part in 2003's general election. The Committee for Free and Fair Elections said late Sundaythe day had "serious problems," including the loss of names to voterlists and confusion over polling station locations. Some parties had transported voters in vehicles on Saturdayand distributed gifts to voters, violations of election regulations, Comfrelsaid. Military police were seen using vehicles to transport voters in Battambang province, where disputesbetween opposition and ruling party activists erupted. In Svay Rieng province, voters lined up inside CPPheadquarters in order to receive receipts from a party official. Voters saidlater they would be reimbursed with gifts for the receipts, an allegation theCPP denied. Svay Rieng results showed nearly 100 percent of seats going to theCPP.