The Candlelight Party (CP) has asked the Ministry of Interior and commune authorities to expedite their request to replace 35 of its commune councillors who have resigned, died or been fired, in order to prepare for the upcoming Capital, Province, Municipal and District council election.

The CP’s Secretary-General, Lee Sothearayuth, said in a press conference that “Thirty-five CP commune councillor positions were in a state of limbo because the local authorities have not signed the ‘change of party official’ form, which is affecting public services.”

“Some documents are with the commune officials and some are with the provincial authority. The reason we decided to change officials was because some have resigned, others violated party principles and some have passed away,” he said.

“We ask the local authorities and the Ministry to review their activities, not to put pressure on the opposition party and party officials,” he said.

“Their actions further highlight the limitations on citizens’ freedom to support their preferred party and their ability to engage in politics,” he said.

Some local CP members have been threatened by the authorities and some officials from other parties try to persuade CP officials to vote for their party, said Sothearayuth.

The party has written to the Interior Ministry requesting that it expedite the procedure and deal with local authorities; however, as of right now, no resolution has been reached, he said.

He called on the authorities to expedite the provision of public services to citizens without discrimination, as there have been cases of some citizens who support CP not being able to access public services.

Touch Sokhak, spokesman of Ministry of Interior, said yesterday that the Ministry does not stand in the way of the CP; it always abides by the law and follows the correct processes.

In the case of delays in the provision of public services, it is likely that the authorities are reviewing the content in detail to avoid errors in signing the document, he said.

“In addition, the local authorities have a lot of work to do for their citizens. Therefore, the authorities review and prioritise work and other tasks, so that they can be addressed equally without discrimination for the provision of public services,” Sokhak added.

Sam Kuntheamy, executive director of Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC), said the delays in the process of changing its commune councillors, the CP should inquire more with authorities to find out whether it is too late for provincial or district officials.

“The CP should find ways to further strengthen its commune councils on internal conflicts, as it is an internal matter for the party,” he said.

“If the party is still unable to change its commune councillors, it will affect the interests of the capital, provincial, city and district council elections,” Kuntheamy added.

The 4th Capital, Provincial, Municipal, and District Council Election will take place on Sunday, May 26.

There are 1,652 communes nationwide.

• Tags: Candlelight Party