Monitors cautious over Cambodian poll

Monitors said that while actual voting and counting had been trouble free, the campaign had been marred by violence

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Election monitors observing Cambodia's weekend local elections have given a cautious verdict on the vote saying it was not entirely "free and fair."

Although they praised the smooth and trouble-free polling and counting held on Sunday, they said the campaign running up to the vote had been marred by violence, media bias, administrative irregularities and several deaths.

"We can say the election day, February 3, was acceptable but because of the violence and intimidation we cannot say that this election is completely free and fair," Sunnai Phasuk of the Asian Network for Free and Fair Elections (ANFREL) told a news conference in Phnom Penh.

In the run-up to polling some 23 candidates and party activists and one poll monitor were killed in election related violence.

A statement released by ANFREL said Cambodia had "taken another step towards establishing democracy," but it added, "there remains much work to be done before the national elections next year."

On Monday, the U.S.-based International Republican Institute said the elections had been administered competently but did not meet international standards and were not free and fair.

With all results now in, official figures show the ruling Cambodian People's Party of Prime Minister Hun Sen won the lion's share of the vote, taking the top spot in 1,600 of the 1,621 communes contested.

'Free, maybe'

CNN.com Asia More news from our Asia edition

Opposition politicians have also expressed concerns over the conduct of the poll.

Officials from the Sam Rainsy Party have complained of several instances of cheating and fraud and Prince Norodom Ranariddh of the royalist FUNCINPEC party said he had doubts over the credibility of the poll.

"Free, maybe," Ranariddh told reporters. "Fair, for us -- maybe not very fair."

At a separate news conference Thun Saray, the head of the local Committee for Free and Fair Elections, also expressed concerns over the poll saying there had been too many problems to give the vote the group's full support.

"Although the voting day and counting day went smoothly, if we take them into account with the pre-election period, we see that the elections are not as free and fair as we wanted them to be," he said.

Sunday's vote was the first local poll to be conducted in Cambodia since the country won independence from France in 1953.

It has been widely seen as a dress-rehearsal for general elections due to be held in 2003.