The National Election Committee (NEC) Wednesday announces 11 political parties will be competing for votes at the ballot box in the upcoming communal election. The election is scheduled to start on April 1st 2007.
NEC’s general information deputy chief, Khan Keo Monor says that the election will consists of Cambodia’s well-known political parties such as the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), FUNCINPEC, Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), and the newly formed Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP).
Mu Sochua, SRP’s secretary general has confirmed that her party has registered for the election; however, she says her party was met with threats and disruptions when registering in Mondul Kiri province.
FUNCINPEC party’s spokesman Muth Chantha is also experiencing similar problems and also claims his party faces numerous illegal irregularities.
The Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia’s (COMFREL) executive director, Kul Panha says that the organization has not found any serious irregularities in the communal electoral registration process.
The upcoming communal election is essential in the pursuit of democracy and to the decentralization of power in Cambodia.