A/HRC/27/70 43. Several draft laws with potentially profound implications for democratic expression and participation are reportedly in various stages of elaboration, including on associations and non-governmental organizations, on trade unions and on cybercrime, in addition to the much-awaited laws by which electoral and other reforms will eventually be enacted. The Special Rapporteur once again calls on the Government and Parliament to ensure openness and transparency in the legislative process. E. Electoral reform 44. The subject of the Special Rapporteur’s report to the twenty-first session of the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/21/63) was on electoral reform. Regrettably, most of the recommendations contained therein were not implemented before July 2013 elections. The National Election Committee announced that 9.67 million Cambodians would be eligible to cast their ballots in 19,009 polling stations to elect the 123-seat parliament by proportional representation. The elections were contested by eight political parties. Only two parties won seats, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, and the opposition CNRP. They were closely contested elections, with conflicting claims as to which party won the largest share of votes, and thus seats in the National Assembly, giving rise to a dispute concerning alleged irregularities during the elections which lasted for nearly one year. 45. With the two winning parties having found a way to assume their seats in the National Assembly and discuss their differences there, the Special Rapporteur notes that priority will be placed on thoroughly reforming the electoral system to ensure that the next elections will not be marred by similar disputes. He is pleased that his recommendations on electoral reform have now become part of the national agenda, including that of according an independent institutional status to the National Election Committee. However, the Special Rapporteur stresses that there remains a great deal to be achieved before the public can regain confidence in the electoral system. F. Land rights 46. Regarding the recommendations in the report on economic and other land concessions submitted to the twenty-first session of the Human Rights Council in 2012 (A/HRC/21/63/Add.1), the Special Rapporteur notes the positive developments resulting from the private land-titling programme of the Government led by the Prime Minister himself. In particular, he welcomes the land-titling programme undertaken under directive No. 001, which was designed to provide tenure security for marginalized and vulnerable communities, as well as the halt in granting new economic land concessions and the review of existing economic land concessions provided for under the Government’s order No. 01 of the Government. He further welcomed the progress made by the Government in developing policy relating to land and housing rights, including drafting the National Housing Policy, a white paper on land policy and a draft environmental impact assessment law. 47. The Special Rapporteur notes with appreciation the information received from the Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, Im Chhun Lim, with whom he met during his visit to the country in June 2014, according to which, some 3.5 million titles had been issued and some 180,000 parcels of land were being processed. The Special Rapporteur welcomed the adoption on 9 May 2014 of the long-awaited National Housing Policy, by which a process for the allocation of social housing was established and whose implementation he will observe with great attention. He also noted with satisfaction the significant attention given to land and housing rights issues in Cambodia in the National Strategic Development Plan 2014–2018. He has furthermore been made aware of and 12