Members of the National Election Committee (NEC) met with government figures and representatives of NGOs in Phnom Penh yesterday to discuss the electoral registration process, ahead of a new electronic system set to be rolled out next year.

The meeting comes a week after the NEC sent a draft set of procedures and regulations to political parties, civil society groups and the Ministry of Interior for review, with recommendations needed to be submitted by August 6.

According to Koul Panha, executive director of Comfrel, an election monitoring NGO, while the adoption of an electronic system represents the kind of change needed, how the change will be managed remains unclear.

“We need to have more detail in the process,” he said.

Testing of the new electronic registration system is due to start in October, ahead of it eventually being rolled out in early 2016.

The NEC has enlisted the help of Japanese experts to set up the electronic system, as well as discussing it earlier this month with representatives of the European Union.