- Title: CAMBODIA: Voting in election amid temple stand-off with Thailand
- Date: 27th July 2008
- Summary: (BN04) WAT CHANMULY, KOMPONG CHAM, CAMBODIA (JULY 27, 2008) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF POLLING STATION AT A TEMPLE VOTERS CHECKING FOR THEIR NAMES VOTERS RECEIVING BALLOT PAPER ELECTION OFFICIALS HANDING OUT BALLOT TO VOTERS VOTERS CASTING BALLOTS (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) SAM RAINSY, LEADER OF OPPOSITION SAM RAINSY PARTY (SRP), CASTING BALLOT MORE OF VOTERS QUEUING (SOUNDBITE) (Khmer) SAM RAINSY, LEADER OF THE SAM RAINSY PARTY (SRP) SAYING: "They have been intimidated to not vote for the Sam Rainsy Party but I still have hope that the people want change and they will rely on Sam Rainsy Party." SAM RAINSY WALKING OUTSIDE POLLING STATION VOTERS LINING UP TO VOTE (SOUNDBITE) (Khmer) ROS CHOAM, VOTER, SAYING: "I want the food prices go down and I also want the fertilizer price to go down as well." POLLING CENTRE (SOUNDBITE) (Khmer) SOU VEI, VOTER, SAYING: "My wish is that I have come to vote today because I want whoever wins this election to fight corruption." MORE OF POLLING CENTRE (ASIA) PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA (JULY 27, 2008) (REUTERS) VOTERS GATHERING TO MAKE COMPLAINT AT THE SAM RAINSY PARTY OFFICE IDENTITY CARD AND NAMES LIST SRP PARTY OFFICIALS LOOKING AT THE LIST VOTERS LOOKING (SOUNDBITE) (Khmer) PEO RATANA, WOMAN WHOSE NAME WAS NOT ON THE VOTERS' LIST SAYING: "I came to make a complaint so that I would to be able to vote because I am Khmer and living in Cambodia I must have the right to vote." OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER SAM RAINSY TELLING VOTERS THEY MUST FIND A WAY TO GET BACK THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE SUPPORTERS CHEERING SRP PARLIAMENT MEMBER TALKING TO VOTERS WHOSE NAMES WERE NOT ON THE VOTING LIST VOTER WHOSE NAME WAS NOT ON THE LIST HOLD HER ID CARD (SOUNDBITE) (English) SON CHHAY, SRP PARLIAMENT MEMBER,SAYING: "We believe that ten of thousands of people just in Phnom Penh alone that can not vote, It is shocking to the people of Phnom Penh, It never happened before, this is something wrong, this is cheating."
- Embargoed: 11th August 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Cambodia
- Country: Cambodia
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVACB9EQPIFX3M5IQ5YF9P8REMP
- Story Text: Cambodians went to the polls on Sunday (July 27) in an election overshadowed by a row with neighbouring Thailand over a 900-year-old temple that has inflamed nationalist passions and led to troop build-ups on the border.
Soon after polling stations across the country opened at 7:00 a.m.
(0000 GMT), Prime Minister Hun Sen and his wife cast their votes in Phnom Penh.
In the run up to the elections, both the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) jumped on the dispute surrounding the Preah Vihear ruins, which sit on a jungle-clad escarpment separating the two southeast Asian countries.
However, the nationalist fervour is unlikely to affect the outcome of a vote almost certain to hand another five years in power to Hun Sen, a one-eyed, 57-year-old ex-Khmer Rouge guerrilla and prime minister for the past 23 years.
"The electoral process, the campaign went smoothly, voting and I hope the counting will also be smooth," Prime Minister Hun Sen told reporters shortly after voting.
The CPP is so confident of victory it has scheduled talks over Preah Vihear with Thailand's foreign minister in the tourist town of Siem Reap, home to Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temple complex, on Monday (July 28).
But Hun Sen declined to comment on the talks.
" The electoral law does not allow me to speak in the polling station," said Hun Sen as reporters asked him about the outcome of the talks.
Sam Rainsy, leader of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), cast his vote at a polling centre located in a temple in Kompong Cham province.
Voter turnout was large at the temple and long queues had formed as people from neighbouring areas gathered to cast their votes.
"They have been intimidated to not vote for the Sam Rainsy Party but I still have hope that the people want change and they will rely on Sam Rainsy Party," Sam Rainsy told reporters.
The CPP is so confident of victory it has scheduled talks over Preah Vihear with Thailand's foreign minister in the tourist town of Siem Reap, home to Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temple complex, on Monday (July 28).
The meeting is not expected to make major headway in resolving the dispute, which is mainly over 1.8 square miles (4.6 square km) of scrubland near the temple.
The ruins themselves are claimed by both countries but were awarded to Cambodia in 1962 by the International Court of Justice, a ruling that has rankled in Thailand ever since.
Analysts say Thai domestic politics are mainly to blame for the row, which flared up after Cambodia's successful bid to have the ruins listed as a World Heritage site.
Bangkok's initial support for the heritage listing was seized on by anti-government groups in their long-running attempt to unseat the Thai government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej. His foreign minister was forced to resign over the issue.
There have been no major incidents so far, but both sides have sent troops and artillery to dig in near the temple and nearby Thai border villages are braced for conflict.
Diplomacy aside, Cambodian voters were eager to see a leadership that would address the issues they are facing, such as higher food and fuel prices.
Hun Sen has argued that the formerly communist but now free-market CPP has helped Cambodia enjoy five years of double-digit economic growth. But the recent inflation as dealt a severe blow to ordinary Cambodians and political watchers say although CPP is likely to stay in power, the margin may be smaller.
"I want the food prices go down and I also want the fertilizer price to go down as well," said Ros Choam, a voter.
"My wish is that I have come to vote today because I want whoever wins this election to fight corruption," added Sou Vei, another voter.
Early voting passed off without major incident but in Phnom Penh, hundreds of disgruntled voters gathered at the SRP office claiming that their names were not on the voters' list at theh polling centre.
"I came to make a complaint so that I would to be able to vote because I am Khmer and living in Cambodia I must have the right to vote,"
Peo Ratana, a voter whose name was not on the voters' list.
"We believe that ten of thousands of people just in Phnom Penh alone that can not vote, It is shocking to the people of Phnom Penh, It never happened before, this is something wrong, this is cheating," said Son Chhay, an SRP parliament member.
Eleven of Cambodia's 57 parties are contesting for the 123 seats in the house of representatives. The European Union is sending 130 observers to monitor the election in which 8.1 million people are registered to vote. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None