20 July 2008
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL ELECTORAL OBSERVERS AND MONITORS
International monitors must be aware that the ruling party and the state work as one entity, allowing the CPP to abuse the state apparatus and authority to manipulate election results with the help of local authorities and election officials on all levels. International monitors present in polling and counting stations on election day will witness the results of manipulation that has taken place outside the stations, and/or before voting day. Without foresight into the illegal tactics being used by the CPP, election monitors will not realize that what they observe at the polling station is merely a façade. Therefore, the SRP calls for international monitors to pay attention to events happening outside the stations and on days leading up to the election. Listed below are the two main manipulation tactics that the ruling party is using, as well as recommendations for monitors to counter these tricks.
1. Voter list manipulation
The ruling party has two methods to manipulate voter lists to their advantage. The first is to erase the names of legitimate voters , especially non-CPP supporters. The second is to keep (or add) "ghost voters" on the list: deceased people, voters that were registered twice, and voters that moved away permanently. The CPP can then use these ghost voters to inflate their number of votes in the following way:
They will identify people who are not eligible to vote (such as barely underage people, non-registered citizens and foreigners living in Cambodia ) or people who are not interested in voting (such as migrant workers not registered as voters) and offer them money in exchange for a CPP vote. They will take these people to specific venues, where they will distribute 10/18 documents* with the ghost voter's identity but replacement voter's real photo. With this fake identity, they will be able to vote for the CPP.
Recommendations for Monitors:
• The 10/18 form must be stamped in order to be issued. The stamp is detained by the commune clerk, assistant to the commune chief, both of which are affiliated with the CPP. Most ghost voter 10/18 forms are distributed on or just before voting day, although it is illegal to issue them on election day. The CPP will have pre-dated these forms but they cannot pre-stamp them, as the stamp must be on the photo of the person who will vote using the ghost voter identity. Therefore, it is crucial for the stamp to be safeguarded on election day. The SRP has already proposed that the stamp be kept in a sealed and signed envelope, in such a way that its presence would be visible by all. We recommend that monitors support this proposal, push for its implementation, and monitor the whereabouts of the stamp on election day.
• The CPP will hold gatherings to distribute the 10/18 forms. The venues for the distribution will most likely be village chiefs' houses, commune chiefs' houses, the local CPP headquarters, or the commune administrative office. We recommend that monitors send delegates to these locations on election day and report any suspicious activity, such as unusual gatherings of people. The mere presence of an international observer may be a sufficient deterrent to this practice. For the monitors staying at the polling stations, look out for ghost voters especially between the hours of 11:30 -13.00 (lunchtime), and 14:30-15:00 (minutes before the closing of the polling station at 15:00 ). The SRP asks that a list of identified ghost voters be posted in every polling station and that voters using these fake identities be immediately identified and forbidden to vote. These lists are available and monitors should demand that they are used to eliminate voter fraud.
2. Clean Finger Operation
In past elections, the CPP paid voters to vote for them but now having realized that people could accept their money and still vote for the party of their choice, they have resorted to a new strategy: paying people to abstain from voting if they are not known CPP supporters. When voters cast their ballot, their finger is dipped in ink that remains on their skin for several days, therefore a clean finger after the elections is evidence that a person has abstained from voting. The CPP will bribe voters before the election, and give an additional bribe after the election in exchange for a clean finger.
Recommendations for Monitors:
We recommend that international monitors look out for this phenomenon by asking your local informants, translators, and voters for occurrences of the clean finger operation. It is important to be aware of this widespread practice and actively search for evidence, as it will not be visible in a polling station or on election day.
Finally, we recommend that monitors look out for CPP agents closing windows and doors of polling stations, faking electricity cuts, and detonating small explosives to create bomb scares. These are all tactics to limit transparency, and intimidate non-CPP voters to prevent them from casting their ballots. CPP voters, escorted by CPP agents, generally come at the early hours and will have already cast their votes.
SRP Members of Parliament
*10/18 form is a substitute ID document for those who don't have the standardized national ID Card.
