The Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia is urging the National Election Committee to recruit provincial staffers for the polls in a transparent manner that eschews political favouritism.

The recommendation comes after the NEC opened job applications yesterday for 735 positions related to the upcoming national election in July.

According to COMFREL, all political parties with seats in the National Assembly must be allowed by the NEC to monitor the recruitment process.

The period for applications is open for only five days, between April 8 and April 12, according to COMFREL, and the selection process for various positions should be based on “fairness, transparency, neutrality and without political tendencies”.

NEC secretary-general Tep Nytha said he had read the recommendations but the NEC could not follow them. He added that the NEC obeyed the law when it came to recruitment.