A woman comes to register for elections at Phsar Doeum Thkov commune in the capital's Chamkar Mon district last year. Heng Chivoan
The Ministry of Interior has instructed capital and provincial governors to ensure cooperation from authorities at all levels to support the process of verifying information on last year's voter lists for 2022 registration, in the lead-up to the national election in 2023.
The National Election Committee (NEC) and capital-provincial electoral commissions have also been preparing the training of commission officials and registration teams.
According to a September 7 letter signed by ministry secretary of state Sak Setha and addressed to all governors, NEC has requested the ministry to help ensure that authorities at all levels, including the sub-national, cooperate in disseminating information notes to those whose names appear on the 2021 voter lists for verification and for this year's registration.
The letter noted that NEC will send the information out to villages and communes across the country from September 20 to October 19.
To ensure that voter list verification and 2022 registration is carried out efficiently, the ministry advised sub-national administrations at all levels, particularly the communes, to fully cooperate with NEC.
NEC spokesman Som Sorida said on September 8 that every year before voter list verification and registration, NEC makes sure the names and data are recorded correctly as on Cambodian ID cards.
To ensure the information notes reach those intended, NEC has enlisted the ministry's assistance, he added.
“The ministry’s letter makes an important contribution in permitting us to send out the information to people whose names are on voter lists as stated, so that they can check their names on the latest voter lists for 2021 for the updated version,” Sorida said.
Preah Sihanouk Provincial Administration spokesman Kheang Phearom confirmed on September 8 that he had received a letter.
The provincial hall is ready to forward it to relevant institutions and authorities to ensure the process is carried out smoothly and according to plan.
NEC secretary-general Tep Nytha, at the closing of a training session on voter list verification and 2022 registration on September 7, advised capital-provincial election commissions to get their officials, electoral registration teams and relevant parties ready as planned.
He also reminded them to follow NEC's calendar and guidelines and health measures to stave off the coronavirus.
He also instructed relevant parties to pass on the information so the public can check the voter lists for 2022 registration, as well as carry out their respective roles and duties according to NEC guidelines.
Voter list verification and 2022 registration in communes is to last for 50 days, beginning October 20 until December 8.
