Opposition parties have begun to cast their eyes on the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Anlong Veng and the nearly 5,000 registered voters there.

battambang – A Sam Rainsy Party supporter was insulted and physically attacked by an alleged CPP loyalist after returning home from a political rally Friday, party officials and rights workers here claimed Monday.

battambang – Poll officials here are still waiting for $17,000 to cover transport costs over the election period, the president of the provincial election commission said Monday.

wat baray vihear, Takeo pro­vince – A senior Son Sann Party official on Monday said the party would not join an opposition coalition government that includes officials with dubious backgrounds.

Over the past few weeks, So Van has become something of an expert on permanent inks.

At first glance, it might seem that having nearly 60,000 national observers signed up for July 26 elections would be a good thing. After all, there have been widespread rumors that party activists and village chiefs will try to cheat on polling day, and there are not enough international observers to cover every polling station.

The National Election Com­mittee on Monday allowed opposition politician Sam Rainsy to broadcast gruesome footage of a grenade attack as part of a state-televised electoral campaign, but expressed concerns the broadcast could provoke violence.

Late-night revelers plowed into the Thai Embassy early Saturday morning while driving a political campaign vehicle on Monivong Boulevard, the chief of municipal traffic police confirmed Sunday.

pailin – Vigorous campaigning pushed tempers to a crescendo here last week, forcing authorities to step in to head off possible violence between the CPP and Sam Rainsy Party supporters, the deputy of the provincial election commission said Friday.

The government is investigating alleged links between Fun­cinpec and a “private army,” warning that renegade forces in the deep northwest may attack polling stations, officials said this weekend.

pailin – Authorities here hope to restart gas deliveries from Thai­land today following a two week suspension that has bump­ed up gas prices in the area.

Siemens AG, one of the world’s largest electrical engineering and electronics companies, is scheduled to announce today the opening of an office in Cambodia.

Police said Sunday that they have suspects in the grenade incident last week at Justice Minister Chem Snguon’s house, but de­clined to disclose details.

First Prime Minister Ung Huot on Sunday said his Reastr Niyum Party would win 10 to 15 National Assembly seats and accused his former party, Funcinpec, of benefiting from the reputation of ex-members.

The National Election Com­mittee has struck 393 names out of the 5.4 million on the official voter list for reasons including multiple registration and ineligible voters. But the single most common reason for removal from the list was death.

Officials said Saturday the NEC is probing more names.

“This is only the first step,” NEC spokesman Samraing Kam­san said. “NEC is considering the removal of around 1,000 further persons from the electoral register, but no decision has yet been made.”

NEC figures released Saturday showed that 157 voters had been reported dead. NEC Information Officer Leng Sochea said most had died in the last few weeks.

A total of 127 voters were struck from the list because they had registered in more than one place, while 23 were removed because they were underage.

The NEC said 78 were taken off for having “incorrect nationality.” The body an­nounced earlier last week that 53 Vietnamese had been struck from the lists.

A board member for the Coalition for Free and Fair Elec­tions said Sunday that the move could be a sign that the NEC, which has been criticized for some members’ CPP connections, may be serious about eliminating election fraud.

“It’s more than a token,” said Chea Vannath, acting director of the Center for Social Develop­ment. “It’s not perfect yet but at least it catches the basic ones.”

Sin Sen, an ex-CPP central committee member and former top Interior Ministry general, on Friday reiterated his support for government critic Sam Rainsy.

One Seen Lobbed Onto the Grounds; Neither Detonated

One grenade was thrown at the home of Justice Minister Chem Snguon in Prampi Makara district Thursday morning, and a second one was found later in the day. Neither of the grenades exploded, police said.

The debate on whether Cam­bodia Shinawatra can use the “GSM-1800” label for its new digital mobile phone network has been delayed until after the July 26 election, Posts and Telecom­mu­nications Minister So Khun said Thursday.

battambang – The battle for Cambodia’s votes hit the northwest Thursday as the three main parties stepped up their presence in the region.

Party representatives have railed against the use of private homes as voting stations on election day, saying it threatens the secrecy of the vote.