Cambodian parliament approves members of new election committee

The National Assembly of Cambodia approved on Thursday nine candidate members for the new National Election Committee (NEC).

The nine members include four each from the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), and one "neutral" person, who is not related to political parties.

The CPP's candidates are lawmaker Sek Bunhok, who has been nominated by the party as president of the NEC, NEC members Mean Sathik and Em Sophat and retired Interior Ministry official Duch Son.

The CNRP's candidates include ex-lawmaker Kuoy Bunroeun, who has been named as the NEC's vice president, Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association, Hing Thirith, a Supreme Court prosecutor, and retired civil servant Te Manirong.

The ninth nominee, who is selected by the two parties as the " neutral" NEC member, is Hang Puthea, director of election- monitoring group Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia (NICFEC).

Some 117 lawmakers, including Prime Minister Hun Sen and CNRP President Sam Rainsy, were present at the voting session. Some 113 lawmakers voted in favor of the nine candidates as 1 voted against, 2 abstained and 1 annulled.

"I would like to announce that the National Assembly has elected the nine members for the NEC," National Assembly's President Heng Samrin said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said the nine members would be no longer the members of any political parties, but neutral NEC members.

"We have built confidence for free and fair elections in the future, the winner will win with honor and the loser will lose with satisfaction," he said. "I hope that the NEC will fulfill its duties with responsibilities before the history and the Cambodian people."

CNRP President Sam Rainsy said it was another milestone in the Cambodia's political history.

"From now on, the Cambodian people will have confidence in the future elections. Definitely, it will be no post-election dispute in the future," he said.

The new NEC was introduced after Hun Sen and Sam Rainsy reached an agreement on July 22 to end the opposition's 10-month boycott of parliament following the 2013 elections.

Chheang Vannarith, senior researcher of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said in terms of the membership and institutional structure, the new NEC is much better than the old one.

"It is more inclusive and independent," he said. "If it can ensure free and fair elections, the post-election political deadlock will be overcome."