Election Body Disqualifies 11 Small Party Candidates

The National Election Committee has delisted 11 candidates for the June local election from two opposition parties, allegedly because they were illiterate. 

The NEC released a statement on March 18 announcing the disqualification of 11 candidates — seven from the Candlelight Party and four from the Khmer Will Party.

According to the statement, one Candlelight party candidate was disqualified from Phnom Penh’s Phsar Depot II commune and six from Koh Kong’s Chumnap commune in Thma Baing district.  The Khmer Will Party lost four candidates from the capital’s Wat Phnom commune. 

The NEC said the disqualifications were a response to complaints filed by three individuals — Um Chandara, Seang Veasna and Keo Bunthoeun — who claimed that 11 people could not read and write Khmer.  VOD could not contact the three people. According to the commune election law, candidates have to be Cambodian nationals by birth, be at least 25 years old, read and write Khmer, and be registered to vote. 

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