PHNOM PENH - The National Election Committee said Tuesday it will not form an investigative commission to look into irregularities in last month’s polls.
NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha told reporters that the ruling and opposition parties had failed to agree on the formation of such a commission, making it “impossible” to investigate the widespread reports of voter fraud.
The ruling Cambodian People’s Party has said it won the July 28 elections, with 68 of 123 National Assembly seats.
The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party has refused to accept the results of an election without an investigation into a process it says was deeply marred by irregularities.
“There is no compromise between the parties, and it’s impossible to create the commission,” Tep Nitha said Tuesday. “It’s too late to address irregularities.”
The opposition party, along with numerous observers and rights groups, says Election Day was deeply flawed, including a voter registry that either duplicated names, allowing for multiple votes, or omitted names of many voters.
Rescue Party officials say up to 1.2 million people were not given the chance to vote, and that if they had, the party would have won the election. Party officials have said they could boycott the National Assembly’s opening session, potentially halting the formation of a new government.
In negotiations over the formation of the NEC commission, the Rescue Party said it wanted UN observers present for the investigation. The ruling CPP gave “no answer” to those demands, said Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the party.
NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha told reporters that the ruling and opposition parties had failed to agree on the formation of such a commission, making it “impossible” to investigate the widespread reports of voter fraud.
The ruling Cambodian People’s Party has said it won the July 28 elections, with 68 of 123 National Assembly seats.
The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party has refused to accept the results of an election without an investigation into a process it says was deeply marred by irregularities.
“There is no compromise between the parties, and it’s impossible to create the commission,” Tep Nitha said Tuesday. “It’s too late to address irregularities.”
The opposition party, along with numerous observers and rights groups, says Election Day was deeply flawed, including a voter registry that either duplicated names, allowing for multiple votes, or omitted names of many voters.
Rescue Party officials say up to 1.2 million people were not given the chance to vote, and that if they had, the party would have won the election. Party officials have said they could boycott the National Assembly’s opening session, potentially halting the formation of a new government.
In negotiations over the formation of the NEC commission, the Rescue Party said it wanted UN observers present for the investigation. The ruling CPP gave “no answer” to those demands, said Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the party.
