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.
Pertinent topic of #Politikoffee this week: “Rights to Vote of Cambodians Overseas”
Our honor to welcome Mr. Sophoan Seng as our speaker. Mr. Sophan is the:
– Leader of Commission for Elections Rights of Overseas Cambodians (CEROC)
– Deputy Returning Officer for Elections Canada 2014-2015, Calgary Forest Lawn Electoral District
-Founder of Cambodian Leadership Skills
– Graduate of University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA, (MA, PhD Candidate)
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 53
This part (53), Mr. Sophan Seng continued to describe the unalienable rights to vote of Cambodians overseas. Furthering to introduction of the CEROC part 52, Cambodians overseas have played important roles in nation-building of Cambodia following renaissance of political, social and economical changes.
1. Politics: as the matter of fact, Cambodian diaspora had actively engaged in national liberation during the foreign occupation between 1979-1990 along Thai-Cambodia border, and they were significantly helped to push for the establishment of Paris Peace Agreement (PPA).
2. Socially innovating: Cambodian diaspora has built hundred and thousand Buddhist temples to stock their culture and belief. Buddhist temples are central of identity, languages, spiritual needs, and volunteerism.
3. Economically contributing: Both Cambodian migrant workers and Cambodian diaporic members have annually contributed to economic growth and GDP not less than 500 millions dollar usd each year. But recent finding broadcasted by VOA Khmer indicated that just Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand alone has sent remittance back home not less than 1 billion usd each year.
The above significant engagement and contribution, including, the guarantee of Cambodia constitution as well as the Universal Declaration on Human Rights of the United Nations, Cambodians overseas and the overseas absentee voting choice for those people, must not be deprived.
Who is exempt from the five-year limit on voting by Canadians living abroad?
You are exempt from the five-year limit if you are:
employed outside Canada in the federal public administration or the public service of a province,
employed outside Canada by an international organization of which Canada is a member and to which Canada contributes, or
living with an elector employed as described above, or with a member of the Canadian Forces posted outside Canada, or with a person employed outside Canada by the Canadian Forces as a teacher or as administrative support staff in a Canadian Forces school
How can I prove I am exempt from the five-year limit?
If you are exempt from the five-year limit based on where you or someone you live with is employed (see list above), you must provide proof of employment for yourself or for that elector.
For example, provide a copy, photo or scan of a current:
Canadian diplomatic passport
employee identification card, or
document on the organization’s letterhead, showing the employee’s name and employment status, signed by an authorized official of the organization
I live abroad and I am voting by special ballot. What is my Canadian address for voting purposes?
If you are voting by mail-in special ballot, your Canadian address for voting purposes is the address in Canada where your vote will count. You will vote for a candidate in the riding that contains this address.