The National Election Committee (NEC) issued a press release on Wednesday on the candidates who are to take part in the third-mandate council elections in May.

It showed there are a total of 559 candidates for capital and provincial councils and 3,555 for district councils. There will be 11, 572 voters at 203 polling stations in cities, districts and Khans.

“No work is 100 per cent perfect,” said NEC spokesperson Hang Puthea, responding to allegations that the elections lack transparency.

He said people have varying opinions but, in order to have consistency, it is necessary to pass laws.

“The NEC needs to strictly enforce the law. No one should make comments suggesting we are not complying with the law. Those comments are made to impact the NEC’s election and legal procedures."

“The NEC is determined to enforce and abide by the law, keep order and adhere to the correct procedure for choosing councils,” he said.

Sam Kuntheamy, the director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections, an election watchdog, told The Post that in the previous election there were strong opposition parties with a large number of supporters, similar to the number of supporters of the ruling party.

“Twenty parties stood in the National Assembly election, but those participating were not as popular as the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP)."

“We want opposition parties such as the CNRP to compete in this election to make the process credible,” he said.

Kuntheamy claimed the newly formed parties were only created to give an appearance of having multiple opposition parties in the election.

The NEC said the third-term elections to choose council members would take place on May 26.

Full details can be found at www.necelect.org.kh.