Despite objections from all three monitoring groups, the Senate Wednesday unanimously passed the commune election law without major changes.
Even opposition lawmakers who had attacked the law joined the 49 senators who approved the same version, passed by the National Assembly on Jan 17.
The law is the second and final piece of legislation necessary before elections can be held. It will be sent to the Constitutional Council this week for final review before going to King Norodom Sihanouk for his signature.
You Hockry, co-minister of the Interior, said elections can be held 11 months after the King signs the legislation. The law, he said, will “strengthen grassroots democracy” by shifting power to a new communal council.
Funcinpec Senator Sam Kannitha said the law has new restrictions against fraud that should reduce the likelihood of election violence. “With such restrictions, we can say the violence and cheating in the election” will be more difficult, she said.
Although they voted for the law, some opposition lawmakers still don’t like it much. Sam Rainsy Party member Kong Kom said the central government still retains too much influence over local officials.
Members of election monitoring groups agreed. They are most disturbed over creation of a National NGO Coordinating Committee to oversee the elections. They fear it could compromise their independence.
Sek Sophal, leader of the Coalition on Free and Fair Elections said the groups would prefer that the government “just leave us alone” to do their work as they did in the 1998 elections.
But, he said, since the legislature refused to change the law, the monitoring groups “will see how transparent the selection of [candidates to serve] on the committee” will be.
