Election Amendments Set Out Penalties
NEC can impose a fine of 10 million to 30 million riels as well as a more severe punishment that would prevent the party from running in elections for the following five years. Photo: Te Chhaysinh
- By Mao Sopha
- July 6, 2023 4:05 PM
PHNOM PENH – Amendments to the Election Law, brought into force on July 4, give the National Election Committee (NEC) more power to punish candidates and parties.
The NEC can remove the party from the voter list if it obstructs or incites people not to go to the polls, or to destroy or damage ballot papers, lose faith in the election, disrupt the election process or disrupt the count.
Additionally, the NEC can impose a fine of 10 million to 30 million riels as well as a more severe punishment that would prevent the party from running in elections for the following five years.
The NEC can also apply the law to any candidate who takes such action. That candidate may be removed from the list of candidates for election and barred as a candidate for at least five years. The candidate can also be fined from 5 million riel to 20 million riel.
Those who want to stand for the national election must have voted in the previous two general or commune elections.
Commune candidates must have voted in the previous general election.
Candidates for the Senate must have voted in the previous two general elections.
Capital, province, municipality or district candidates must have voted in the previous general election.
King Norodom Sihamoni signed the royal decree enacting the election law amendment on July 4.
Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this story was translated by Te Chhaysinh for Cambodianess.
