Two election experts from the European Union (E.U.) joined the CNRP and CPP on Friday in separate meetings held to discuss how voter registration will be managed in future elections, presenting four possible options.
Although the parties agreed on which option they preferred—a new voter list using combined data on citizens from the Interior Ministry and National Election Committee (NEC)—they came no closer to resolving their dispute over how voters will be identified come election time.
Following their meetings with the E.U. experts, which were held separately at the request of the ruling party, the head of each party’s delegation said they remained at odds over how to identify eligible voters for the new list.
“[The E.U.] just displayed a presentation of the four options, but it is up to the political parties to decide and choose what option they like,” said Deputy Prime Minister Bin Chhin, who has led the CPP in talks with the CNRP over a new election law.
“It was a discussion, but there is no agreement yet,” he added. “Option four is the option that both parties discussed. And option four is that we use identity cards that have scanned fingerprints, which seems like the election law we have drafted.”
However, Mr. Chhin said the CPP still wanted to use standard, Interior Ministry-issued identity cards to check voters’ names at polling stations.
Kuoy Bunroeun, a senior CNRP official who has led the opposition in the talks, said his party is continuing to push for election-specific cards issued by the NEC.
“The NEC should review data provided by the Ministry of Interior and whether or not it’s transparent to confirm those who have the necessary rights and eligibility for registration and voting,” Mr. Bunroeun said.
The two working groups, who have held regular talks twice a week since the CNRP ended its boycott of parliament in August, will take a break from meeting next week.
