What impressed Sokhoeun Duong on first returning to Cam­bodia in 1989 was the amount of responsibility the na­tion’s women bore.

A Sam Rainsy Party member was shot to death in Siem Reap province last week in what party officials allege is the second political murder in two days in the pro­vince.

The UN human rights office has received about 50 new “credible allegations” of intimidation and violence while political intimidation “appears to have intensified in several provinces,” according to the office’s third campaign-period report.

kompong chhnang town – Op­position figure Sam Rainsy on Sunday denounced the deadly attack on election workers near Anlong Veng, and feared it could deter voters from going to the polls.

There was little mistaking the allegiances of the more than 2,000 people who turned out to join a CPP motorcade in the capital Saturday morning.

kompong cham town – Reastr Niyum Party President Ung Huot on Saturday outlined a party bid to institute reforms that would limit the likelihood of a long-standing military-backed regime in Cambodia.

Deposed first prime minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh on  Sunday denied reports that Fun­cinpec had already decided to form another coalition government with the CPP if his party wins the national elections.

It is just one short sentence, but it is enough to shape the future government.

A “concerned” UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged Cam­bodia on Thursday to improve the credibility of the July 26 elections, but said the UN remains committed to the pro­cess.

Cambodia’s senior labor official warned that factory workers are prohibited from staging strikes as the election approaches.

More than seven months after a Tuol Kok clothes dyeing factory promised to cut down on pollution emissions, local residents said Thursday fumes and noise have not abated.

The National Election Commit­tee budget deficit has decreased substantially thanks to gifts from international donors. But a funding gap of almost $1.5 million still exists, officials said Thursday.

Three Vietnamese and one Cambodian were killed Wednes­day in an attack in Kratie province possibly linked to the upcoming elections, officials said Thursday.

sisophon, Banteay Meanchey province – Election officials and military police here are concerned that bandits and resistance forces may attempt to disrupt the election, despite moves by the acting governor to quash security worries.

kompong cham town – Funcin­pec Co-Minister of Interior You Hockry said this week he be­lieves the CPP is getting nervous, and he worries that political violence could increase.

skon town, Kompong Cham province – Opposition politician Sam Rainsy on Thursday refused to rule out forming the next government in a coalition with Sec­ond Prime Minister Hun Sen, saying it was still too soon to judge who he could work with.

Sam Rainsy and Prince Nor­odom Ranariddh may be more known for their Parisian connections, but the CPP demonstrated Thursday a Franco-following of its own.

neak loeung, Prey Veng pro­vince – Thach Reng pulled up in his Toyota Camry to a group of women in the Neak Loeung market and handed them a fistful of Light of Liberty Party leaflets.

banteay meas district, Kampot province – Ieng Mouly, leader of the Bud­dhist Liberal Party, brought his campaign machine to Kampot province Thursday, stressing that people should not be intimidated by “the ruling party,” a reference to the CPP.

The Son Sann Party is confident it will be part of any non-CPP coalition government formed in the wake of the election, a senior party official said Wednesday.