The 'second generation': Cambodia elections 'free & fair', but challenges remain.

Marking the culmination of what UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali has termed the "largest and most ambitious operation" ever undertaken by the UN, the Security Council on 15 June formally endorsed the results of the general elections in Cambodia, which had taken place from 23 to 28 May in an atmosphere described as generally peaceful and often festive.

More than 4 million Cambodians - representing 89.6 per cent of the registered voters - had cast their ballots during the five-day, multi-party elections conducted by the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC). UN personnel had established 1,400 fixed polling stations and 200 mobile teams to reach voters in remote areas. In addition, UNTAC had organized the month-long political campaign for the elections. More than 1, 500 meetings and rallies had been held, attended by some 800,000 people.

"Nothing the UN has ever done can match this operation", the Secretary-General asserted at the start of the electoral process in April. UNTAC "illustrates the challenges of the second generation of United Nations operations".

His Special Representative for Cambodia, Yasushi Akashi, at a 16 July press conference in New York, said that UNTAC had achieved a "resounding success". While the 17-month-old operation had been "far from perfect", he said, it had combined "firmness with flexibility" to reach a positive outcome.

The newly-elected Constituent Assembly was sworn in on 14 June, just two weeks after the polling ended. Work has begun on the drafting of a Constitution which is to be adopted within three months. After that, the body is to transform itself into a legislative assembly to create a new government for Cambodia.

Diplomatic success

The elections, as the focal point of the comprehensive settlement in Cambodia, were "a diplomatic success for the United Nations", Mr. Boutros-Ghali told the Austrian Parliament on 16 June in Vienna.

Notwithstanding the successful holding of the election and the creation of a Constituent Assembly, the post-election period had not been without difficulties, he reported on 16 July (S/26090).

Cambodia still faced enormous problems of security, stability, mine clearance, infrastructure improvement and general economic and social development, the report continued. The political-military situation remained fragile and the tasks before the new government were "difficult and challenging".

The right of Cambodians to determine their own political future through the free and fair election of a constituent assembly had been affirmed under the 1991 Agreement on Comprehensive Political Settlement of the Cambodia Conflict, known as the Paris Agreements. The Agreements, the culmination of more than a decade of negotiations, also invited the Security Council to establish UNTAC, which began operations in March 1992.

The Cambodian operation - which includes military, human rights, civilian police, civil administration, refugee repatriation and rehabilitation components, in addition to its electoral mandate - would "influence the nature and scope of future United Nations mandates and operations world", the Secretary-General said in an address to UNTAC staff in Phnom Penh on 8 April.

High turnout

On 29 May - the day vote counting began - the Secretary - General's Special Representative declared on behalf of the UN that in view of the high turnout throughout the country, the absence of violence or disruption during polling, the success of the technical conduct of the poll, and the calm and peaceful atmosphere that reigned throughout the polling period, the conduct of the election had been free and fair. After all the votes had been counted, the elections were officially declared as free and fair on 10 June at a meeting of the Supreme National Council (SNC).

Transmitting election results to the Council, the Secretary-General reported (S/25913) on 10 June that three of the four Cambodian parties signatories to the Paris Agreements took part in the electoral process: the Front uni national pour un Cambodge independant, neutre, pacifique et cooperatif (FUNCINPEC), which received 1,824,188 or 45.5 per cent of the vote; the Party of the State of Cambodia (SOC) through the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), with 1,533,471 votes or 38.2 per cent and the Khmer People Liberation Front/Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party (KPNLF/BLDP), which received 152,764 votes or 3.8 per cent. The vote gave FUNCINPEC 58 seats in the Constituent Assembly, 51 for CPP, 10 to KPNLF/BLDP and one to the Molinaka and Naktaorsou Khmere for Freedom (MOLINAKA).

The fourth signatory party - the Party of Democratic Kampuchea (PDK) - failed to register as a political party, took no part in the election and threatened to disrupt it with violence, according to the report. Nevertheless, PDK has declared that it will accept the outcome of the elections.

Voters undaunted

Aside from a few incidents, the elections took place in a "peaceful and often festive atmosphere, with voters sometimes walking several miles to cast their ballots, apparently undaunted by threats of violence or banditry, rough terrain or the heavy rain that swept much of the country", the report continued.

The counting of the votes had proceeded more slowly than anticipated, because of the need to ensure accuracy and transparency. One of the parties, the SOC, raised objections over alleged irregularities in the polling and counting process, but did not produce evidence to support their request to hold new elections in several provinces.

In his report, the Secretary-General urged all parties to respect and accept the election results and to resolve any dispute they might have through agreed channels UNTAC, he observed, would give the Constituent Assembly its full support in drawing up a constitution and establishing a new government for Cambodia. "I am also confident that the international community will continue to support efforts to promote national reconciliation and peace-building", he concluded.

Resolution 840:

Full support expressed

Unanimously adopting resolution 840 (1993) on 15 June, the Security Council expressed its full support for the newly-elected Constituent Assembly, which had been sworn in the day before and would soon begin its work of drawing up a constitution in accordance with the October 1991 Paris Agreements. The Council emphasized the necessity for the Assembly's work to be completed within the three-month time-frame stipulated in the Agreements.

All parties were called upon to respect fully the election results and cooperate for a peaceful transition in the country. The Council welcomed Prince Norodom Sihanouk's efforts to achieve national reconciliation, his leadership and his continuing role in maintaining stability and promoting cooperation among Cambodians.

UNTAC was asked to continue to play its role in conjunction with the SCN - which the Council had declared the "unique legitimate body and source of authority" in Cambodia during the transitional period.

Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali was asked to report to the Council by the middle of July, with recommendations on the possible role the UN and its agencies might play after the end of UNTAC's mandate. States and international organizations were urged to contribute actively to Cambodia's reconstruction and rehabilitation.

On 30 June, UNTAC welcomed the first plenary session of the Constituent Assembly in Phnom Penh and congratulated the BLPD leader, Son Sann, who was nominated Assembly President.

All was not peaceful

Despite the apparent success of the elections, the situation in Cambodia over the past months had been frequently marred by violence, particularly against UNTAC personnel.

On 5 April, the Security Council strongly condemned all attacks on UNTAC, particularly the recent attacks which had resulted in the death of two Bangladeshi members of UNTAC and the "cowardly assassination" of three members of its Bulgarian contingent on 2 April. The Secretary-General was asked to report urgently to the Council on the circumstances of those "murderous acts" and responsibility for them.

In a statement by its President, the Security Council stressed the importance of ensuring a neutral political environment in Cambodia, as well as the cessation of acts of violence and of all threats and intimidation committed on political or ethnic grounds.

In an 8 April statement, the Secretary-General deplored the murder earlier in the day of a Japanese UN volunteer in Cambodia by unknown individuals. He said he had learned with the greatest sadness of the "most unfortunate and cruel murder" of Asuhito Nakata, a 25-year-old District Electoral Supervisor in the Kompong Thom province, who had been working for the "cause of peace and democracy" in Cambodia since July 1992. He was driving an UNTAC vehicle with his interpreter, who also died later in a hospital in Bangkok from bullet wounds.

An UNTAC official said the most likely motive for the attack was an act of revenge against UNTAC personnel resulting from the recruitment of polling officers for the elections. Apparently, the attack had been carried out by a single gunman.

During a visit to Hanoi on 11 and 12 April, the Secretary-General had talks with the Foreign Minister of Viet Nam, focussing on the situation in Cambodia and, in particular, the recent massacres of ethnic Vietnamese there. Mr. Boutros-Ghali assured the Minister that UNTAC would use all measures at its disposal to ensure the safety of the ethnic Vietnamese. The Secretary-General also met with the Prime Minister of Viet Nam, who expressed support for UN efforts in Cambodia, and with Viet Nam's President, who said Viet Nam was committed to the provisions of the Paris Agreements.

In a 22 April statement issued by its President, the Security Council unequivocally condemned the killings of UN peace-keeping personnel and demanded that attacks on UN peacekeepers cease forthwith. A Bulgarian soldier serving with UNTAC was killed and five others were injured in an attack on 19 April on UNTAC's District Headquarters in the village of New Oral.

Between late March and April, six peace-keepers - one Japanese UN volunteer and one interpreter - had been killed in attacks against UNTAC, the Secretary-General reported in a 26 April letter (S/25669) to the Security Council President. Among the slain peace-keepers were two Bangladeshis and four Bulgarians. Another nine Bulgarian soldiers, five Cambodian civilians and one Indonesian civilian police monitor were injured in attacks mostly carried out by the National Army of Democratic Kampuchea (NAKD) - the forces of the PDK.

On 3 May, in a fourth report (S/25719) on UNTAC's progress in implementing the terms of the Paris Agreements, the Secretary-General stated that UNTAC was faced with increased violence, which could have an impact on voter turnout. However, UNTAC had to continue to carry out its mandate as well as it could, with the greatest possible concern for the safety of its own staff and the well-being of Cambodians. Conditions for elections in Cambodia had never been perfect, any more than they were in many other countries, and might not be so for a long time. That was no reason to hold back elections, which were not the end but the beginning of the process of Cambodia's renewal.

Also on 3 May, UN humanitarian and development agencies, in a statement issued in Phnom Penh, appealed to Cambodian political leaders "to exert their influence and authority" over local leaders to restore a climate of confidence and law and order that would allow humanitarian organizations to continue their operations. During the previous few weeks, the security situation had "markedly deteriorated" in certain parts of Cambodia, they said.

The agencies warned that the increasing violence not only had a negative effect on their ability to conduct non-political humanitarian operations, but it hampered the conduct of the much-needed relief and reintegration operations and might force them to scale down their activities in Cambodia.

Elections as scheduled

Despite the ongoing violence, the Secretary-General on 15 May stated in an updated progress report (S/25784) that he had directed that the elections be held as scheduled, as that was the will and intent of the Security Council, as well as of the vast majority of Cambodians. The elections were likely to be affected by continuing violence. UNTAC would be conducting the most impartial elections possible in conditions that were not susceptible to its full control. Postponement of the elections would, rather than bring improved conditions, more probably have the opposite effect.

Since the beginning of April, he reported, violence had caused the death of 110 Cambodians, including those of Vietnamese descent, and injury to 179. A large number of those casualties had resulted from attacks on civilians and on SOC by the NADK and unidentified groups, and attacks on other political parties by SOC and unidentified groups.

The Secretary-General expressed concern at the fact that incidents of violence could have a disruptive effect on the elections through their "destabilizing psychological effects"'

In order to strengthen security, no polling would be conducted in PDK-controlled areas in selected remote areas where NADK had been operating, and in area to which UNTAC had been denied access, said the report. Other parts of the country had been designated as high-medium- and low-risk zones, with different levels of security assigned accordingly to each. In high-risk zones, armed UNTAC military personnel would be stationed at and around polling stations. Quick reaction forces and medical support units had also been identified for those areas. Also, urgent consultations had been held with Governments on the provision of additional equipment for UNTAC.

According to the report, the Secretary-General was also giving "urgent and close consideration" to a request by the three Cambodian factions supporting the elections for the return of weapons they had placed under UNTAC control based on the fact that they held primary responsibility for security in zones under their control.

Technical preparations for the elections had been virtually completed, the report stated. The freeness and fairness of the elections would be judged in accordance with three main criteria: the extent to which the campaign and voting were marred by violence, intimidation and harassment; the extent to which SOC - which controlled the largest zones and had the most extensive administrative structure - enjoyed unfair advantages, whether by using its administrative apparatus for its own political ends or by denying other political parties access to the public media; and the technical conduct of the poll.

Resolution 826:

Proceed with elections

The Security Council on 20 May fully supported the Secretary-General's decision to proceed with the general elections as scheduled and warned all Cambodian parties that it would respond appropriately to their failure to honour their obligations in respecting the election results.

Unanimously adopting resolution 826 (1993), the Council reaffirmed its determination to endorse the election results provided that the UN certified it as free and fair, and also reaffirmed its readiness to support fully post-election efforts to promote national reconciliation and peace-building in Cambodia.

On 22 May, the Council strongly condemned the shelling on 21 May of UNTAC, in which two members of the Chinese engineering detachment were killed and seven others wounded. it took note of the Secretariat's preliminary report indicating that the NADK had carried out the attack and asked the Secretary-General to investigate further and report urgently to the Council.

The Council expressed strong support for UNTAC in carrying out its mandate within the framework of the Paris Agreements. It warned that it would not countenance the use of violence to interfere with or overturn the democratic process in Cambodia and would take further measures against any of the parties failing to honour its obligations. Cambodians were called upon to exercise fully their right to vote in the elections.

Resolution 835:

Stand by obligation

Unanimously adopting resolution 835 (1993) on 2 June, the Security Council called on all Cambodian parties to stand by their obligation to respect fully the election results and urged them to bring about the peaceful establishment of a democratic government in that country, in accordance with the terms of the new constitution to be drawn up by the Constituent Assembly. The international community was urged to continue to contribute actively to Cambodia's reconstruction and rehabilitation.

The Council saluted UNTAC members, particularly those who had given their lives in the electoral process.

On 8 June, the Council issued a statement strongly condemning two armed attacks carried out a day earlier against UNTAC's Pakistani and Malaysian platoons, resulting in serious injury to several personnel.

The Council reiterated its warning that appropriate measures would be taken against those who threatened the safety and security of UNTAC personnel and were trying to overturn the democratic process in Cambodia through violence. It demanded that all hostile attacks against UNTAC cease immediately.

In a 22 June report of the Secretary-General, the 7 June attack was confirmed to have been deliberately carried out by NADK elements. The attack on Malaysian troops in Battambang Province, he said, was "most probably" carried out by local elements of the Cambodian People's Armed Forces (CPAF) - the army of the SOC.

Voting on

First Avenue

The iron gates a few dozen steps north of the visitor's entrance to UN Headquarters in New York are usually locked, but they stood wide open from nine each morning until five in the afternoon beginning Sunday, 23 May, through the following Thursday, 2 7 May. A glance beyond the two UN security officers standing guard revealed what seemed to be the setting for a festival under two large adjoining white tents in the shade of a grove of trees. For people hurrying along busy First Avenue, the quiet scene offered little of immediate interest. Nevertheless, what was in progress there had historic importance, for this was one of three overseas polling stations for Cambodia's national election.

The polling station on the grounds of UN Headquarters was a first in UN history. Twenty-one Cambodians cast their ballots here during the five-day election period. Cambodians who had registered to vote but were abroad at the time of the election could also cast a ballot at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris or at the UN Information Centre in Sydney, Australia.

In the cool light of the open-sided tents, a table covered with a blue cloth displayed a large sign, in English and Khmer, that announced "UNTAC Polling Station." Two UN volunteer election observers sat at the table with Marany Pen, the presiding officer in New York for the Cambodian election, waiting for voters.

Seated at one side of the tent were representatives of a few of the 20 political parties taking part in the election. The United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) rules allowed each party to have one agent in the polling station to monitor the procedure.

When a woman arrived to vote on Thursday morning, Mr. Pen studied her registration card and then inspected her fingers under ultraviolet light for the long-lasting invisible fluorescent ink that would show if she had already voted.

After casting her vote in a private booth, the Cambodian woman inserted the folded paper in an envelope and dropped it into the bulky, specially-locked white ballot box - 10,000 miles from 4 million of her fellow voters - a small but effective step in Cambodia's democratization.

The historic exercise:

A first-hand account

Annette Ifill of the UN Chronicle was one of over 950 International Polling Station Officers, from 43 countries in Cambodia for the first democratic election in 40 years.

After leaving New York on 10 May, Ms. Ifill arrived in Jomtien, Thailand, where she had three days of intensive training, including briefings on Cambodia's culture, history communications, health concerns, the danger of mines, living conditions, electoral laws and polling procedures.

She departed for Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, in a French military plane, accompanied by about 40 other polling station officers. A Russian helicopter took her the rest of the way to Svay Rieng Province, where she was assigned to a polling station in an elementary school-a 27' x 12' wooden structure with three rooms, each with a doorway, a hole for a window and a dirt floor.

"Working with me were 21 Cambodians who formed three voting teams", says Ms. Ifill. "During the election, for six days we used the school's desks and benches for working and dining by day, and sleeping at night."

She oversaw and supervised the polling staff, with the assistance of an interpreter, and managed the entire exercise from polling to the scrutiny and counting of the ballots. All this was closely monitored by the party agents and representatives from human rights organizations.

By the time the polls had opened at 8 a.m. on 23 May, she says, "there were about 300 eager voters - young and old, lame and well, from every part of the district - patiently waiting in the blistering sun. Some were missing limbs and were brought on trucks, motorcycles and bicycles. Still others were blind and had to be led and helped to vote.

"In spite of intimidation tactics from one of the political parties, they seemed unable to contain their excitement and were proud to exercise their right as Cambodians to vote - some for the first time - in an election that would enable them to have a say in the future of their country and which could result in the formation of a government of their choice." Of the more than 4 million Cambodians who voted in the country, almost 3,000 persons voted at Ms. Ifill's station.

Says she: "It was a challenging assignment and I feel I played a pioneering role in an unknown rural environment, and in a society which is coming to grips with the concept and practice of democracy:'

The humanitarian dimension:

Fostering peace through relief

The wide-ranging, complex tasks of UNTAC, the mandate of which includes many humanitarian aspects, reflect a growing emphasis on the role of relief and rehabilitation in UN operations.

Indeed, the Security Council has formally recognized the importance of humanitarian concerns in conflict situations, terming provision of coordinated humanitarian assistance one of the "basic peace-building tools".

In a 28 May President's note, the Council also underlined "the dose link which may exist, in many cases, between humanitarian assistance and peace-keeping operations".

The UN inter-agency repatriation programme in Cambodia - begun in 1992 - has been one harbinger of such new links. By 20 April 1993, some 370,000 Cambodian refugees had returned home, effectively putting, a successful end to the huge effort.

The successful completion was made possible with cooperation between UNTAC, various UN agencies under the leadership of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), national and international non-governmental organizations, and all parties that were signatories of the Paris Agreements.

As the lead agency, UNHCR oversaw the movement of returnees and the pmmn of immediate assistance and food. With refugees now home, UNHCR in Phnom Penh is concentrating its efforts on rehabilitation and reintegration of returnees. It has launched a series of new "Quick Impact" projects to facilitate the recovery of the physical, social and economic infrastructures in areas of return.

Special Representative Yasushi Akashi said on 30 April that "the peaceful and orderly return of the Cambodian refugees is both a dear expression of the confidence that the Cambodians have in the peace process and a decisive contribution to national reconciliation".

The World Food Programme (WFP) has also worked continuously in Cambodia and along the Thai-Cambodia border since 1979, managing more than 95 per cent aid flows to refugees, displaced people and other affected people in Cambodia.

On 9 April, WFP announced in Phnom Penh that it had assumed sole responsibility for all distribution of food aid to returning refugees, following an agreement signed earlier in the day between WFP, UNHCR and other relevant organizations. WFP would be responsible for the procurement and delivery of food to some 360,000 repatriated refugees with no other means of subsistence.