CANADA SHARES U.S. VIEW ON ELECTION PROCESS IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 001542 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2013 TAGS: PHUM PREL KDEM CB CA SUBJECT: CANADA SHARES U.S. VIEW ON ELECTION PROCESS IN CAMBODIA REF: STATE 139900 Classified By: Pol MC Brian Flora for reasons 1.5(b) and (d). 1.(C) Post delivered points contained reftel to Stuart Savage, Deputy Political Director in DFAIT's Southeast Asia Division, on May 29. Savage indicated Canada shares our view that the government of Cambodia should be held to its commitment to conduct a credible national election. Savage said Canada's ambassador in Phnom Penh has been actively engaged in a series of meetings and programs to encourage fair elections. However, he said the GoC would not make a public statement concerning the elections before they take place. Canada will send interns working from its embassy in Phnom Penh, as well as officers from Canada's other embassies in the region, to serve as election observers. ¶2. (C) Savage also mentioned that Canada, through its Human Security initiative, has been one of the main donors to an NGO project in Cambodia known as Impacs. He described Impacs as a media training program that teaches local media how to do unbiased reporting on elections. The Cambodian election is one of the pilot projects for Impacs. CELLUCCI