The National Election Committee (NEC) is to start accepting regist-rations for political parties and candidates from March 7-11 in preparation for the upcoming municipal, provincial, town, district and commune council elections on Sunday, May 26.
NEC spokesman Hang Puthea told The Post on Wednesday that district and commune councillors would vote in the polls and all parties had been approved by the Ministry of Interior.
If a party has no seats in commune or district councils or the National Assembly, it could still register to run in the elections.
“Parties can come to the NEC for application forms to register and get candidate lists. They can also visit the NEC website to download registration forms,” Puthea said.
The elections in the third government mandate are to have a total of 228 polling stations, of which 25 are for municipal and provincial council elections, the NEC said.
The other 203 are for the city,district and commune council elections.
There are 27 seats available in Phnom Penh’s municipal council, while provincial councils are made up of 15 to 27 members. Town councils consist of 11 to 21 members and district councils from 11 to 21.
A total of 559 municipal and provincial council seats are available, and 3,555 at town and district level.
Pich Sros, the president of the Cambodian Youth Party (CYP), which does not hold any seats in district or commune councils, on Wednesday said his party would register to take part in the elections.
The CYP has prepared more than 1,300 candidates to run in 10 provincial cities, he said.
“As sportsmen, we are not scared of the ring. We will participate in the competition in order to show the potential of our party. We will take part to show the people that we are tough in political competition and able to lead the country in the future,” he said.
Sok Eysan, the spokesman for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, which holds 1,156 district and commune seats, said his party offered the best candidates.
“Everything is ready and well prepared. All the candidates are also prepared,” he said.
Eysan said municipal, provincial, town, district and commune council elections are important to government decentralisation and multiparty democracy.
