Japan studies Cambodia's needs for electoral reform

The Japanese government on Monday sent a group of experts to Cambodia to study the country's needs for electoral reform, according to a news statement from the Japanese Embassy here. "The team will conduct a needs survey for Japan's assistance for electoral reform in Cambodia from May 19 to 23,"the statement said. The group, comprised of 10 members of Japanese government officials and academics, is headed by Senya Mori, deputy director general of Industrial Development and Public Policy Department of Japan International Cooperation Agency. During their stay in Cambodia, the team will conduct intensive consultations with the members of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), election-related authorities, foreign development partners, international organizations and civil society in order to study the current situation and to identify the needs for reforms. Japan's aid consideration for Cambodia's electoral reform came at the request of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in November last year during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the country. Cambodia remains trapped in political dispute after the election results in July last year showed that Hun Sen's CPP won 68 parliamentary seats and Sam Rainsy's CNRP got the remaining 55 seats. The opposition CNRP has refused to accept the election outcome it says was marred by fraud, and it has boycotted parliament and staged a number of demonstrations to demand an early election. Leaders of the two parties have met several times in a bid to resolve the dispute, but always produced no fruitful results. CNRP's President Sam Rainsy told a news conference Sunday that the party would resume talks with the CPP soon in order to seek ways to end the nine-month political row