Phnom Penh (FN), July 24 – Some 1,036 national observers from 93 organizations and associations across 25 capital/provinces and 220 international observers representing organizations and institutions from 52 countries across the five continents will participate to observe Cambodia’s general election 2018, according to the Civil Society Alliance Forum (CSAF)’s press release dated Tuesday.

The above observers requested to observe the electoral process under the coordination of the Commission, Kem Rethviseth, CSAF Chairman and Head of Coordination Commission for the Work of National and International Observers in the Election of Members of National Assembly, stated in a press conference held Tuesday at Koh Pich, Phnom Penh.

Head of Coordination Commission for the Work of National and International Observers in the Election of Members of National Assembly informed the public that the Commission is composed of a mixed group from civil society organizations that will play important role to coordinate on the observation of electoral process with transparency.

The international observers from CDI, ICAPP, CAPDI, APA, AIPA, APF, SCO and the Francophone Parliamentary Assembly and so on will join to observe the July’s election. Their participations reflects the support and strengthening of Cambodia's democracy, particularly to ensure a fair, neutral, and transparent election.

"I would like to emphasize that the international observers such as the Centrist Democratic International (CDI) value democracy; we have no rights to force them to issue the statements as we want. The international observers have their own freedom to make a statement, which is an evaluation to the upcoming election process in Cambodia,” said Kim Rithviseth.

CDI, founded in 1961, has 74 members from 63 countries and 12 different political parties. Besides, International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), for example, is an institution created to promote cooperation and exchange of visions among political parties in the region amid different ideologies. As of 2018, ICAPP has 355 political party members from 52 countries in one continent.

Civil Society Alliance Forum (CSAF), founded in 2016, is an institution working to promote cooperation and coordinate between the government and national and international civil society for a closer working relationship in order to promote people’s living standard.
=FRESH NEWS