VZCZCXRO8452
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0622/01 2111125
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291125Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000622 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, P, D, DRL, INR 
NSC FOR L. PHU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA ELECTION: JAPANESE - "MUCH MORE FAIRLY 
CONDUCTED"; EU - "FALLS SHORT" 
 
REF: A. PHNOM PENH 613 
     ¶B. PHNOM PENH 611 
     ¶C. PHNOM PENH 565 
 
¶1. (SBU)  SUMMARY:  The Japanese and EU observer missions 
released statements on the National Assembly Election which 
praised the reduced levels of violence and intimidation and 
noted the generally smooth electoral process.  The Japanese 
mission noted that irregularities should be handled through 
the appropriate mechanisms and the EU encouraged all 
stakeholders to combine their efforts in order to resolve 
problems.  On reported irregularities, the EU noted the scale 
of reported problems was not sufficient to warrant the 
conclusion that the outcome would be changed.  An SRP protest 
rally is planned for July 30.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Japan: Nuanced Praise 
--------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  The Embassy of Japan issued a statement at the end 
of the day on July 28 stating that the election was 
"conducted much more fairly than in previous ones."  On 
irregularities, the Japanese called on the Cambodian 
government to "deal with them in an appropriate manner."  The 
Japanese embassy called on all Cambodians to maintain the 
peaceful environment that has prevailed to date and to 
respect the election results. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  While praising an election marked by less violence 
and fewer complaints as well as more technical proficiency, 
Chief Observer of the EU Election Observation Mission Martin 
Callanan June 29 told a press conference that the overall 
electoral process fell short of a number of key international 
standards.  Points raised were the lack of confidence in the 
impartiality of the National Election Committee (NEC) (a 
point the UNDP has been making for some time (Ref C)) and the 
lack of free and equal access to the media.  The EU also 
noted the voter deletion list, which "disenfranchised around 
50,000 previously registered voters" and are the core of a 
protest being made by the four main opposition parties.  The 
EU praised the "good" turnout (75 percent) and the 
well-administered polling and counting process and 
technically good election process.  Other points noted were 
the inadequate voter education activities and lack of 
participation by women in the official process (though EU 
political officer Line Urban praised the participation of 
women in Cambodia's civil society organizations during the 
election). 
 
EU: Formal Evaluation in October 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  The EU will not make its formal evaluation until 
October and EU participants avoided saying whether the 
election was acceptable or remarking on whether it was free 
and fair.  On irregularities, Callanan said that there was 
some evidence, but not of a sufficient scale to affect the 
outcome.  He called on all parties to make use of the formal 
complaints process and promised that EU observers would 
investigate any allegations if they were provided with 
evidence. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  SRP parliamentarian Mu Sochua hijacked the EU 
press conference at one point to denounce the election 
results.  Referring to a press conference in the morning on a 
NICFEC Sample Based Observation of the election, she 
incorrectly/incorrectly stated that 24.9 percent of voters 
could not find their names on voter lists.  In fact, NCIFEC's 
data showed that in 75 percent of all voting stations, the 
number of voters who could not find their names was less than 
five.  And, in 24.9 percent of all voting stations, more than 
five persons could not find their names.  (NOTE:  In the 
absolute worst-case scenario, if all 700 voters from all of 
theses stations had been disenfranchised, that would 
represent 3 percent of registered voters.  Based on our 
observers' reporting, we believe the actual number is a small 
fraction of that.  END NOTE.)   Mu Sochua was corrected at 
least three times in the morning press conference and 
appeared to understand the distinction between voters (of 
whom there are 8.1 million) and voting stations, yet she 
persisted in her "mistake" in the EU conference in front of 
many international media outlets.  Post will send the NDI 
study to the desk. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Sam Rainsy Party activists are passing out 
leaflets in Phnom Penh calling on all voters who could not 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000622  002 OF 002 
 
 
vote on election day to join a protest at Sam Rainsy Party 
headquarters the morning of July 30.  At least one leafleter 
has been detained by police.  An SRP cabinet member told 
Pol/Ec Chief that he hoped the rally would remain inside SRP 
headquarters, but could not say it would not lead to an 
unauthorized and potentially violent march on the NEC, which 
sits in the Ministry of Interior compound less than a mile 
away. 
MUSSOMELI