Filipinos overseas increasingly voted for Presidential election in the Phillipine

Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 65

Filipinos-voting-in-Hongkong.-STANFORD.EDUabsentee_voting_registration_booth_july-20121

Courtesy of Inquirer.Net

This part (65), Mr. Sophan Seng described and appreciated the recent Philippine election in which Filipinos overseas increasingly voted during this time.

ពីហ្វីលីពីនទៅកាន់កម្ពុជាៈ បោះឆ្នោតពីចំងាយឯនាយសមុទ្រ [អូអេវី]
ថ្មីៗនេះ អ្នកបោះឆ្នោតជនជាតិហ្វីលីពីនឯនាយសមុទ្របានប្រើសិទ្ធិរបស់ខ្លួនដើម្បីបោះឆ្នោតជ្រើសរើសមេដឹកនាំថ្មី។ ចំនួនអ្នកចូលរួមបោះឆ្នោតកើនឡើងយ៉ាងច្រើន។

From Phillipine to Cambodia: Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV)
Recently, Fillipinos overseas voters have used their right to vote in Phillipine election. The turnout figure is very outstanding.


Comparing overseas absentee voting between Thailand, Indonesia and the Philipines

Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 64

This part (64), Mr. Sophan Seng analysed overseas absentee voting by comparing between Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

According to IDEA, an organization focusing on Diaspora worldwide, there are more than 300 countries have included their overseas citizens to vote their home-country elections. In the ASEAN region, the record illustrated Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Lao, have included their overseas citizens. Malaysia is believed to include overseas citizens to vote in the next election.

Country

Qualification of Overseas Voters

Who/what may be voted

Voting Method

Voting Period

Deadline for Receipt of Ballots

Voting Statistics
Indonesia (1.36 m est. Overseas population) A citizen, age 17th, and a registered voter President, Vice President, Members of Parliament for electoral district of Jakarta Voting in PersonPostal Voting Election day Election day N.A. Except for The Netherlands where turn-out was 77%
Pillippines (7.76 m estimate overseas population) A citizen, age 18 and a registered voter President, Vice President, Senators and Party-List Representatives to Congress Voting in PersonPostal Voting 30 days for land-based voters; 60 days for seamen Election 65.00%
Thailand A citizen, age 18 on January 1 in year of election, and a registered voter Members of Parliament Voting in PersonPostal Variable subject to discretion of embassy or consulate 6 days before election day 39.53% (2000)35.7%

(2001)

 


Overseas voting turnout hits 406,780

Overseas voting turnout hits 406,780

By Pia Lee-Brago, Mayen Jaymalin (Op-Ed: The Philippine Star) | Updated May 10, 2016 – 12:00am
birthday-bongbong-duterte

Duterte obtained 33 percent voter preference, according to the Pulse Asia poll taken from April 19 to 24, down from 34 percent in its April 12-17 survey. File photo

MANILA, Philippines – More Filipinos abroad cast their votes for the 2016 polls, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

As of noon yesterday, 406,780 had voted during the 30-day overseas voting, representing   29.56 percent, the DFA Overseas Voting Secretariat said.

In Asia-Pacific, 158,250 Filipinos had voted, 72,021 in the Americas and 42,494 Filipinos in Europe, according to the DFA Overseas Voting Secretariat.

In the 2010 elections, the voter turnout was 24.86 percent (146,650) and 15.20 percent in the 2013 elections (112,110).

The law-mandated, month-long overseas absentee voting opened last April 9 in 85 Philippine posts worldwide.

Figures from the Commission on Elections   showed a total of 1,376,067 overseas Filipinos registered worldwide for the 2016 polls.

Garry Martines of Migrante urged yesterday Filipinos abroad to stay vigilant and ensure that their votes will be counted.

He said close to 400,000 Filipinos were able to cast their votes for the national elections.

A total of 376,586 overseas voters participated in overseas absentee voting (OAV) or a rise of 285 percent compared to the 2013 polls, he said, citing data from the DFA.

“The number of OAV voters is still expected to rise as Filipinos continue to troop to polling centers until the last day of voting yesterday,” he said.

Martinez said the high turnout of overseas voters is testament to how Filipinos, wherever they are in the world, thirst for genuine change.

“They want a new government. They want a new leadership that is not corrupt and cacique,” he said.

“They want accountability. They want new leaders who will be nurturing to OFWs and migrant workers and their families back home.”

Martinez said Filipino communities worldwide have persevered and overcame the various setbacks and obstacles that would have otherwise discouraged them to vote.

“Our OFWs have remained vigilant,” he said. “We have once again proven how resilient and significant our OFWs are. We have disproved all claims that there had been a growing apathy among our OAVs.”


All Cambodians overseas are entitled to vote in Cambodia elections

Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 61

cropped-Janet-and-LP-1.jpgThis part (61), Mr. Sophan Seng analysed on the “Cambodian voters from overseas” that are differentiated by their resettlement mandate.

For those who are living in foreign countries permanently such as Cambodia diaspora members in the United States, Canada, France, Australia, and many other parts of the world, they should be facilitated to vote in Cambodia elections. There are approximately 500,000 or half million Cambodians overseas among those diaspora who have hugely contributed for nation-building of Cambodia.

Cambodian citizens who are temporarily living oversea are migrant workers, students, soldiers stationing in South Africa, and government officials. There are approximately 100,000,0 or 1 million Cambodian temporary living abroad. Those people are entitled to vote in all Cambodia elections.


Right to vote of Cambodians overseas responding to Hun Manet

Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 60

ក្នុងនាមជាអ្នករស់នៅក្រៅប្រទេសម្នាក់ មានការសោកស្តាយចំពោះមតិរបស់លោកហ៑ុន ម៉ាណែតទាក់ទងនឹងសិទ្ធិបោះឆ្នោតរបស់ខ្មែរដែលកំពុងរស់នៅក្រៅប្រទេស។

ឳពុករបស់លោកនិងរូបលោកផ្ទាល់ហាក់បីដូចជាគ្មានឆន្ទៈនយោបាយក្នុងការសំរួលអោយខ្មែរដែលកំពុងរស់នៅបរទេសជិត២លាននាក់បានចូលរួមបោះឆ្នោតបាន។ ឳពុកលោកនិងរូបលោកមានហេតុផលប្រហាក់ប្រហែលគ្នា ដែលហេតុផលទាំងនោះជាបញ្ហាបច្ចេកទេសសុទ្ធសាធ។ បើនិយាយពីបញ្ហាបច្ចេកទេសវិញ យើងអាចសំរួលតាមរបៀបមីយ៉ាន់ម៉ា ថៃ ឬហ្វីលីពីន ឬយើងអាចពិភាក្សាបង្កើតរបៀបរបស់យើងទាំងស្រុង។

ការមិនសំរួលអោយខ្មែររស់ក្រៅប្រទេសអាចបោះឆ្នោតបានដោយងាយស្រួល គឺជាការរំលោភរដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញខ្មែរ ក៏ដូចជាកតិកាសញ្ញាអន្តរជាតិដែលកម្ពុជាជាភាគីហត្ថលេខី។

Courtesy: Hun Manet Facebook Page

Courtesy: Hun Manet Facebook Page

On behalf of a Cambodian oversea, I am disappointed by Hun Manet who was interviewed by VOA Khmer recently about the rights to vote of Cambodians overseas.

His father and Hun Manet seems have no political will to facilitate easy access for Cambodians overseas to exercise their rights to vote. He and his father have the same reason to not allow Cambodians overseas to vote as those reasons are typical technical issues. If we are going to discuss technical issues, we could learn from Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines, or we can establish our own mechanism.

Intention to obstruct Cambodians overseas to vote in Cambodia elections is a violation over Cambodia Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations in which Cambodia is a covenant.


Elections in Cambodia are thought as a mean to prolong authoritarian power

Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth 59

This part (59), Mr. Sophan Seng analysed on the recent public statement and press conference by Comfrel or The committee for free and fair elections in Cambodia. According to the press conference, Mr. Michael who is one of the advisory board members stressed that the ongoing practices of authoritarian countries which have used election as a pretext to renew their power, and Mr. Pannha who is director placed doubts on state’s inference with current national election committee (NEC).

kuoy bunroeunMr. Sophan highly agreed with Michael that through academic researches and real world politiks, many authoritarian countries are conducting elections to legitimize their power. Often, those countries including Cambodia under PM Hun Sen leadership, they have always attempted to threat and intimidate the voters through using public speech on both explicit and implicit threatening. More than that, they have always used judiciary system to favor their political agenda.

For what Mr. Pannha said, Mr. Sophan observed that NEC that was created by 4 members from each political parties are not in equilibrium of power because 4 members from government-led party CPP could enjoy the free ride of both conducting daily business without intimidation and fear of political reprisal at all. For 4 members from opposition party, CNRP, they are mindful in all movements and they are easily been feared, distracted, and faced political reprisal in all time. The bad working environment for 4 members from opposition party is also significantly caused by the ongoing biased court of Cambodia.

At the end, the lacking of political will of Hun Sen leadership to include Cambodians overseas to vote, is another attempt showing that election is just a mean for his long term grip in power in Cambodia.