Overseas Absentee Voting

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Posted by: | Posted on: May 20, 2016

Overseas Absentee Voting in South East Asia by comparing between Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philiphines

CEROC Logo 1

Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 64

This part (64), Mr. Sophan Seng analysed overseas absentee voting by comparing between Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

According to IDEA, an organization focusing on Diaspora worldwide, there are more than 300 countries have included their overseas citizens to vote their home-country elections. In the ASEAN region, the record illustrated Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Lao, have included their overseas citizens. Malaysia is believed to include overseas citizens to vote in the next election.

Country

Qualification of Overseas Voters

Who/what may be voted

Voting Method

Voting Period

Deadline for Receipt of Ballots

Voting Statistics

Indonesia (1.36 m est. Overseas population) A citizen, age 17th, and a registered voter President, Vice President, Members of Parliament for electoral district of Jakarta Voting in PersonPostal Voting Election day Election day N.A. Except for The Netherlands where turn-out was 77%
Pillippines (7.76 m estimate overseas population) A citizen, age 18 and a registered voter President, Vice President, Senators and Party-List Representatives to Congress Voting in PersonPostal Voting 30 days for land-based voters; 60 days for seamen Election 65.00%
Thailand A citizen, age 18 on January 1 in year of election, and a registered voter Members of Parliament Voting in PersonPostal Variable subject to discretion of embassy or consulate 6 days before election day 39.53% (2000)35.7%

(2001)

 

Posted by: | Posted on: March 13, 2016

Cambodian overseas absentee voting viewed by PM Hun Sen and HE Sam Rainsy

Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 55

This part (55), Mr. Sophan Seng articulated on the CEROC or Committee for Election Rights of Overseas Cambodians on recent news of Prime Minister Hun Sen and H.E. Sam Rainsy regarding Cambodians overseas absentee voting.

aroundtheworldPM Hun Sen used the excuse of not allowing Cambodians overseas to vote in Cambodia elections because of election system in Cambodia is proportional representation which is different from USA, and he continued to comment on different time such daytime in Cambodia is nighttime in America. With this matter, Mr. Sophan described that it is just a small piece of technical issues that they are not complicate to resolve. Thailand has operated proportional representation, and their overseas voters casted ballots to vote with no problem at all. Thailand has no problem of allocating them, or jurisdiction, or residency at all when overseas citizens registered to vote. To avoid conflicting time of night and day, and especially to avoid pressure on voter, they have arranged “advance vote” by giving more time to both domestic voters and overseas absentee voters to caste their ballots.

Regarding letter to the Phnom Penh Post by H.E. Sam Rainsy, Mr. Sophan described that it depends on how the election committee agrees to solve such technical issue. It is not beyond the ability and capacity to solve the issues whenever Cambodian overseas absentee ballots and voting are counted and facilitated.

Posted by: | Posted on: February 29, 2016

Overseas Absentee Voting for Cambodians Overseas is required by the Laws

Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 53

aroundtheworldThis part (53), Mr. Sophan Seng continued to describe the unalienable rights to vote of Cambodians overseas. Furthering to introduction of the CEROC part 52, Cambodians overseas have played important roles in nation-building of Cambodia following renaissance of political, social and economical changes.

  1. Politics: as the matter of fact, Cambodian diaspora had actively engaged in national liberation during the foreign occupation between 1979-1990 along Thai-Cambodia border, and they were significantly helped to push for the establishment of Paris Peace Agreement (PPA).

  2. Socially innovating: Cambodian diaspora has built hundred and thousand Buddhist temples to stock their culture and belief. Buddhist temples are central of identity, languages, spiritual needs, and volunteerism.

  3. Economically contributing: Both Cambodian migrant workers and Cambodian diaporic members have annually contributed to economic growth and GDP not less than 500 millions dollar usd each year. But recent finding broadcasted by VOA Khmer indicated that just Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand alone has sent remittance back home not less than 1 billion usd each year.

The above significant engagement and contribution, including, the guarantee of Cambodia constitution as well as the Universal Declaration on Human Rights of the United Nations, Cambodians overseas and the overseas absentee voting choice for those people, must not be deprived.