This part (57), Mr. Sophan Seng continued to articulate on The CEROC or Commission for Election Rights of Overseas Cambodians for their effort to advocate for the Universal Suffrage or Cambodians overseas absentee voting so that those Cambodians overseas can exercise their right to fully participate with Cambodia politics through election.
Continuing to summarize his speech at the Polikoffee on March 5, 2016, the question on what is the CEROC?, Mr. Sophan ardently picked up the importance group of all Cambodians overseas populations such as Cambodian soldiers stationing at Africa, government officials especially embassy’s staffs, students, migrant workers, and diaspora members, all should be inclusive to access to voting in order to implement full democratic principles of Cambodia.
According to his observing, the amendment of national constitution to clearly state “allowing rights to vote for Cambodians overseas” is imperative. Both major voice and minor voice political parties in the parliament must initiate to create or amend law that allow Cambodians overseas to vote. Pragmatically speaking, Prime Minister Hun Sen must initiate this agenda and work towards achieving it so that younger Cambodian generations can remember his statesmanship in guarding the principles of democracy in this country as well as for the sustainable development of Cambodia.
Commission for Election Rights of Overseas Cambodians (The CEROC),
This part (56), Mr. Sophan Seng continued to elaborate on The CEROC, or Commission for Election Rights of Overseas Cambodians, an advocate body for the full fledgling participation in political affairs by the Cambodians overseas.
1. Cambodians overseas have no matter with Cambodia politics in general, but Cambodia as a nation has matters with them as those Cambodians overseas has sent millions of dollar a year to help develop economy of this nation. This doesn’t include the feeling of attachment and pride they have always conveyed for Cambodia. And those Cambodians overseas have brought Cambodia to the international arena more than the current effort of Cambodian government to contribute through their embassies.
2. Cambodian government leadership must be responsive to comply by the Cambodia Constitution and the charter of rights of the United Nations. Article 34 of Cambodia Constitution and Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations have solemnly confirmed the unalienable rights of Cambodians overseas to vote in Cambodia elections.
I do frankly appreciate Politikoffee and all group members who are very energetic, savvy, bravery, and outstanding.
The CEROC is a neutral organization employed by volunteers to advocate for the rights to vote of all Cambodians overseas. It has no political affiliation to any body or party.
My presentation today is solely my personal view and finding. It doesn’t represent view and finding among team members entirely.
The presentation session is trying to be fun, fast and functional. Please, feel free to interrupt me by raising your hand if you have concerns or to ask for clarification. Please, don’t forget to shortly introduce yourself by: telling name and your background.
I do reserve my position to answer question(s) that I know them best and not-answer the question(s) that I don’t know, by saying “I don’t know”.
Why rights to vote matters for Cambodians overseas.
Pragmatically speaking, Cambodians overseas have no matter or problem at all. Those are very independent and making their living through their own hard working and no worry about accountability and transparency towards tax-payers and citizens in Cambodia. In contrasts, their contributions and nondetachable social linkage have surely engaged a responsible government to arrange space for them to exercise right to vote in Cambodia elections. Other thing, they have already enfranchised full right to vote in Cambodia elections but it is just the affiliated political organizations in Cambodia that have not disenfranchised them.
So what are matters and problems? Two things to be considered:
1. Legal aspects: Cambodia constitution (article 34: Khmer citizens of both sexes shall enjoy the right to vote and to stand as candidates for the election. Khmer citizens of both sexes, at least eighteen years old, have the right to vote. Khmer citizens of both sexes, at least twenty-five years old, have the right to stand as candidates for the elections of the members of the National Assembly. Khmer citizens of both sexes, at least forty years old, have the right to stand as candidates for the elections of the members of the Senate. Provisions restricting the right to vote and the right to stand as candidates for the elections shall be determined by the Electoral Law.) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations, article 21 (right to vote: The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot or by equivalent free voting procedures.
2. Economic and social aspects: remittances of about 500 millions per year pouring into Cambodia from approximate 450,000 Cambodians permanently living abroad and 600,000 Cambodians temporarily working abroad. The belonging feeling and attachment to birthplace, languages, and culture has played important role as an nondetachable linkage.
What’s the CEROC?
– It is Commission for Election Rights of Overseas Cambodians. The birth of this organization is too hilarious because I (myself) was invited to vote by a Phillipino friend. He asked me what date is your election day? I proudly responded to him that “July 28, 2013” and he replied “congratulations”. In reality, I must not tell him a lie because as one of the Cambodians overseas, I could not vote in Cambodia elections. I am indebted to this memory and the memory was always embedded in my head. So around February, I initiated to talk with many close friends about this intent, and we began with simple activity is to ask among our siblings and close friends about their opinions and to sign petition to the Uns. First, we focused mainly on diaspora communities members, but later we expanded to migrant workers, students, and government officials. Adding to petition campaign, we are working to conduct researches and publications for the near future.
This part (55), Mr. Sophan Seng articulated on the CEROC or Committee for Election Rights of Overseas Cambodians on recent news of Prime Minister Hun Sen and H.E. Sam Rainsy regarding Cambodians overseas absentee voting.
PM Hun Sen used the excuse of not allowing Cambodians overseas to vote in Cambodia elections because of election system in Cambodia is proportional representation which is different from USA, and he continued to comment on different time such daytime in Cambodia is nighttime in America. With this matter, Mr. Sophan described that it is just a small piece of technical issues that they are not complicate to resolve. Thailand has operated proportional representation, and their overseas voters casted ballots to vote with no problem at all. Thailand has no problem of allocating them, or jurisdiction, or residency at all when overseas citizens registered to vote. To avoid conflicting time of night and day, and especially to avoid pressure on voter, they have arranged “advance vote” by giving more time to both domestic voters and overseas absentee voters to caste their ballots.
Regarding letter to the Phnom Penh Post by H.E. Sam Rainsy, Mr. Sophan described that it depends on how the election committee agrees to solve such technical issue. It is not beyond the ability and capacity to solve the issues whenever Cambodian overseas absentee ballots and voting are counted and facilitated.
Summary of Meeting Results between Mr. Sophan Seng & Mr. Pannha Koul
On February 27, 2016 at 3:00pm Mr. Sophan Seng who is the President of the CEROC had a good chance to meet with Mr. Pannha Koul who is the Executive Director of Comfrel or Committee for Free and Fair Election of Cambodia at the headquarter in Toul Kouk, Phnom Penh. The meeting discussions are summarized following:
Mr. Sophan Seng has closely anticipated the effort of Comfrel to ensuring free and fair election of Cambodia by relating it to the engaging of Cambodians overseas to vote in Cambodia elections. Mr. Sophan described the campaign effort of the CEROC to exercising the rights of Cambodians overseas to vote in Cambodia elections. Among those activities, the CEROC has collected petition to submit to UNs, political parties, and civil societies including Comfrel. Further more, effort of the CEROC encourages Cambodian people to increasingly participate in election in Cambodia. As a response, Mr. Pannha Koul frankly welcomed the demand of Cambodians overseas and this is a duty and obligation to develop democracy, political inclusiveness, and political participation of Cambodia.
Mr. Pannha Koul raised the 3 issues in which he thinks could be a barrier for overseas absentee voting: – Budget to organize election abroad, – Confidence of this demand to successfully achieve it, and – Security of the ballots transferring by giving example an election in Burma in 2010 as the lost becoming winner after counting the overseas ballots. Responding to these concerns, Mr. Sophan picked up an example in Canada when Cambodian diasporic gathering was impressed by the news that government of Cambodia doesn’t have budget to organize election for Cambodian abroad, and those people raised their hands to help chip in money to sponsor air-tickets and place to stay for members of the election committee who come to organize election for them to vote. So, this is clear that they are having confidence in it. Mr. Sophan Seng commented further from his experience as Deputy Returning Officer of Elections Canada in giving sufficient time for Canada abroad to vote, inside the country, they arranged advance voting day of 4 days ie Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday in one week before actual election day for Canadian voters.
Both, Mr. Sophan Seng and Mr. Pannha Koul were satisfying with the discussion and continue to closely incorporate until the time that Cambodians overseas can utilize their wills and exercise full rights to vote in Cambodia elections. Mr. Pannha is delightful to invite Mr. Sophan as a speaker or to joining with other meetings through Skype and encourage for frequent communications via email, social network and other modern technological mediums.
This part (54), Mr. Sophan Seng elaborated about the meeting with NEC’s officials on February 19, 2016. Mr. Sophan Seng who is the leader of the CEROC, was honored to meeting H.E.Kuoy Bunroeun, Deputy of NEC at the head office to discuss the right to vote of Cambodians overseas.
The meeting was anticipated by two permanent members and two deputy secretaries of the current NEC. The discussion is summarized following:
Mr. Sophan Seng highly valued the new NEC that is better and more independent than before including the high expectation of its performance for this upcoming commune election 2017 and national election 2018. Precisely, he addressed the need to allow and facilitate access for Cambodians overseas to vote in Cambodia elections (inclusiveness). The CEROC’s objectives are: – to organize suggestions, petitions, and participation of all Cambodians overseas, and – to produce paper work on mechanism, technical and comparative studies through researches and academic gatherings.
Solution: H.E. Kuoy Bunroeun welcomed the tasks of research and recommended to submit petition through a right channel. NEC is implementing in accordance to the existing laws solely.
2. In the future, the NEC shall prepare high ranking officer(s) to visit Khmers diaspora to interact with them about the progress of the NEC.
3. H.E. Kuoy Bunroeun debriefed the advantage and disadvantage points of the new NEC following:
Advantage Points:
Institutionalized into Cambodia Constitution
Procedures, mechanism, and implementation of the NEC
Election laws: new voter registration using fingerprint, photos and computer database etc.
Able to make all decision makings
Disadvantage points:
– Population database and identity matching are under limit
– Ability of NEC’s staffs especially in each voting booth (PSO) is under limit
– Infrastructure such as electricity is very limited
– Etc.
