Opposition Files Complaint Against Top Election Officials

  • Heng Reaksmey
    VOA Khmer

Tep Nitha, secretary general of Cambodia's National Election Committee (NEC), on Friday, May 3, 2013, speaks at a press conference at the NEC headquarters in response to civil society requests. Mr. Tep Nitha rejected the requests made by election watchdogs COMFREL and NECFI, saying they have previously been addressed. He says that NEC is, however, willing to accept outside recommendations. (Suy Heimkhemra/VOA Khmer)

Rescue Party officials have filed complaints in Phnom Penh court against three senior members of the National Election Committee, alleging that they falsified public documents.

The complaint names Im Soursdey, the president of the committee; Tep Nitha, its secretary-general; and Heu Rong, chief of operations.

Yim Sovann, a Rescue Party spokesman, said the complaint had been filed as another means of seeking “justice” following July’s election, during which time the opposition says as many as 1.2 million people were unable to vote. Opposition officials have blamed the NEC for many reports of irregularities and fraud in the run up to and during Election Day.

“They faked the people’s will and caused the election to be not free and not fair,” Yim Sovann said.

Tep Nitha told VOA Khmer the NEC had carried out its duties according to the law and that the charges were untrue.

Koul Panha, head of the election-monitoring group Comfrel, said the opposition should not be hasty to file such complaints, but should more deeply study for itself irregularity complaints.