The National Election Committee (NEC) will today begin its first national-level recount for the June 4 commune elections, after a provincial-level recount for Svay Rieng’s Doung commune switched it from a win by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party to one by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.

The CPP last week asked provincial election officials for a recount in six of the commune’s 23 polling stations, with some of the 126 invalid ballots being found to be legitimate. Six were for the CPP and two for the CNRP, and the change saw the CPP overturn the CNRP’s 2,599-to-2,596 victory by a single ballot.

NEC spokesman Hang Puthea said the Doung recount would be conducted at the headquarters in Phnom Penh and that all election-related material – including ballots – had been transferred already. Of the 79 complaints the NEC had received so far, he said, 38 were related to recounts.

While some recounts had been completed, only Doung had been forwarded to Phnom Penh.

“We haven’t received information from the CEC [Commune Election Committee] and PEC [Provincial Election Committee] on the rest of the 37, beside the one sent to the NEC,” he said.