Voters queue to cast their ballots during the Commune Council Election at Tuol Kork High School on June 5, 2022. Hong Menea
The National Election Committee (NEC) has announced that three political parties have applied for registration for the upcoming fourth-mandate council elections.
The May 26 non-general elections will select the members of each of the capital, provincial, town and district councils.
According to a March 3 NEC press release, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), the Khmer Will Party (KWP) and the Nation Power Party (NPP) have applied to register nearly 10,000 candidates.
Registrations opened on March 2 and will close on March 6.
As of the first day, the CPP had applied to register 8,618 full and reserve candidates in all 25 capital-provinces, while the KWP had put forward 749 candidates in three. The NPP had nominated 427 possible candidates in two of the 25.
NEC is obligated to review each application within five days of its receipt.
Kimsour Phirith, head of the KWP disciplinary council, said on March 3 that his party intended to submit more applications, and aimed to contest elections in the capital and all provinces.
“We have submitted that applications that we had already prepared and is continuing to assemble the paperwork for the remaining electorates. Meeting the five-day application window will not be an issue as we have had two months to prepare,” he added.
An official from the royalist FUNCINPEC party also announced his party’s intention to apply for registration.
Party spokesman Nhoeun Raden said applications will be submitted in each of the districts which documents have been prepared for.
Dim Sovannarom, chair of the NEC’s Press Reaction Team, explained the application procedure in a meeting with election stakeholders, held early in March.
He explained that the necessary application form, T. 1008, is available free of charge at NEC offices, as well as the capital and provincial election commission secretariats, or can be downloaded from the NEC website.
“Candidates must meet certain criteria. They must be Cambodian citizens, and be at least 25 years of age on the day of the election, as well as the other requirements set by the Law on the Election of the Fourth Mandate Council,” he said.
