The Phnom Penh Post - ENGLISH: “Voter ink cleaned easily” plus 4 more

Three activists from royalist party Funcinpec were detained for questioning for 15 hours in Prey Veng province's Peamro district beginning Friday night, one of them has told the Post.

Doeun Chandara, 47, said his car was stopped at about 9pm by more than 10 district and commune police officials who accused them of distributing campaign pamphlets.

He said that he and two fellow activists, Hang Channa, 50, and Leang Chamreoun, 23, were made to stay in the car until midday on Saturday.

"[We] were stopped and asked for the pamphlets that we were placing in front of villagers' homes," he said. "It was not the pamphlets themselves that were a problem, but the fact they were articles copied from Koh Santepheap newspaper."

He said the activists had been campaigning in the area on Friday but distributed the last of their pamphlets before the campaigning blackout took effect.

"The police accused us of spreading pamphlets to cause disorder," Chandara said. "We were allowed to go after our party's president and other senior officials intervened."

Seng Ponlok, Peam Ro district police chief, said the three activists had not been arrested, just questioned.

"We were worried the political pamphlets would disrupt public order," he said.

Ponlok said police let the activists go on their way — 15 hours later — when they realised the pamphlets were "fine".

Millions began casting their vote early this morning in what is expected to be the most hotly contested election in more than a decade.

Some 9.6 million Cambodians are registered to vote, and though turnout has been dropping since the first democratic election in 1993, many observers believe an unusually vibrant campaign period will see unprecedented numbers casting a ballot today.

Despite a heated campaign, voting has thus far appeared orderly at stations across the country, with only a handful of anecdotal reports of missing names or ID difficulties.

In Kandal, a silent Prime Minister Hun Sen drew smiles from fellow voters as he kissed his ballot before dropping it in the box and holding up his inked finger for inspection.

Though Hun Sen had vowed to keep his lips sealed through the entire monthlong campaign until the end of Election Day, his fellow officials had made no such promises and boasted to reporters of big wins.

"We have six of eight seats. I think we will get the same number of seats. We will not lose any," Interior Minister Sar Kheng said in Battambang after casting a ballot while surrounded by three bodyguards. 

Speaking in Kampong Cham, National Assembly President Heng Samrin said he was confident his party "will win 11 seats". That's the number the ruling Cambodian People's Party already holds in this most-populous province of 18 seats.

But they will likely face a tough battle from the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which appears to be making inroads. CNRP deputy president Kem Sokha called Samrin's boasts impossible, saying the CPP would score 11 seats only "if they cheat".

"I believe that I will win 12 seats," he said.

Though he himself is ineligible to vote, stricken from the list last year in light of his since-overturned convictions, CNRP president Sam Rainsy spent the morning touring polling stations — drawing manic attention when voters spied him.

At Chak Angre Leu pagoda in Phnom Penh's Meanchey district, police used a loudspeaker to order people to remain calm as Rainsy made bold claims of conspiracy to a group of reporters.

"Lets wait for more evidence … but many indications point to the same plan or plot to rig the election in the way that would reverse the will of the people," he said, after explaining that there were concerns voters were not able to physically tick number 7 — the party's position on the ballot.

The National Election Committee addressed that rumour at a press conference Saturday evening, seeking to tamp down claims that a special ballot paper which erased tick marks from box number 7 had been disseminated.

A second rumour that has gained traction over the weekend — that the indelible ink can be cleaned from a voter's finger — however, appears to have been borne out.

In Niroth, in Phnom Penh's Meanchey district, a group of students armed with bleach sat near the polling station rubbing the purple stain from their fingers and from an angry group of voters, furious to see how easily the so-called indelible ink could be removed.

The CNRP's Sokha said the party had seen similar issues across the country, testing the ink themselves and confirming "it can be scrubbed off".

Cheang Sokha and Aim Valinda reporting from Phnom Penh; Vong Sokheng reporting from Kandal; Phak Seangly and Kevin Ponniah reporting from Battambang; May Titthara and Stuart White reporting from Kampong Cham; Mom Kunthear and Shane Worrell reporting from Prey Veng

Seeking to allay concerns over the quality of the indelible ink used to identify those who have cast their ballots, National Election Committee officials this evening insisted the semi-permanent stain worked correctly.

The announcement came after a video was released in which a staffer for election watchdog Comfrel can be seen scrubbing the ink completely from his forefinger in just minutes using a simple solution. The clip quickly went viral on social media, drawing outrage from voters.

At a televised press conference held Saturday evening, NEC chairman Im Suosdey, told reporters the election ink — in which voters dip their fingers after casting a ballot — was set by exposure to sunlight and could not be wiped off once a voter stepped outside.

"There was also a concern about the ink, that it would be cleaned from the fingers; that is not true," he said, at a scheduled conference that touched on a number of issues. "It is 100 per cent certain that the ink would not be able to be removed [after a vote], because when the ink is exposed to [sun]light, it is set at good quality."

Suosdey also stressed that the silver nitrate solution was only one way to prevent double voting, and said NEC had numerous safeguards in place.

The Indian government last month donated 40,000 bottles of the ink, which is meant to last days before slowly wearing off.

During the Malaysian elections in May, whose results were hotly contested, similar demonstrations showing how easily voters removed the so-called indelible ink went viral, causing a minor uproar.

A gun, bullets and two Cambodia National Rescue Party caps were laid out on a table yesterday during a press conference at Phnom Penh Municipal Police headquarters to announce the arrest of six alleged robbers.

Police said the males, aged between 16 and 24, most of them students, had been arrested after robbing victims of their motorbikes, iPads and phones as they travelled on the street.

Deputy municipal police chief Chuon Narin said he suspected the group also used drugs.

"These suspects are being questioned further before their case is sent to the court," he said.

Police added that some of the men had CNRP stickers on their own motorbikes and possessed party caps.

No explanation was given as to why the CNRP hats were displayed alongside weapons and stolen goods.

The arrests came days after television stations ran news features in which CNRP campaigners were accused of "gangster" behaviour and drug use.

CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann said those who committed crimes must be dealt with according to the law.

"But please, authorities, don't link crime to politics to defame the CNRP," he said.

Police said an officer broke his leg during a struggle.