The National Election Committee (NEC) organized a training session on the "User Guide of Computerized Program for Preparing the Lists of Political Party’s Candidates Running for the Election of Commune/Sangkat Councils for the 6th Mandate, 2027" at the NEC headquarters on the morning of 19th October 2026. Trainees physically attended the session included representatives from 46 political parties, the representatives of relevant ministries and institutions, and the NEC headquarters officials, totaling 221 trainees, along with approximately 100 virtual trainees who are the officials of the Provincial/Capital Election Secretariats.
Presiding over the opening ceremony of this training session, His Excellency Top Rithy, Director General of the General Department of Legal Service and Technical of the NEC Secretariat General, stated, “The purpose of the training session is to provide the political party’s representatives with a better understanding of the modalities, procedures, and requirements determined by the laws, regulations and procedures for preparing lists of political party’s candidates, submitting the applications for registration of the lists of political party’s candidates at the Commune/Sangkat Election Commissions (CECs), reviewing and approving the requests for registration of the lists of political party’s candidates, adjusting conditions, and filing various complaints related to this process.”
His Excellency Top Rithy emphasized, “For the Election of Commune/Sangkat Councils for the 6th Mandate, 2027, the NEC had decided to continue introducing new features and innovation in addition to some functions particularly introducing computerized program for preparing the lists of political party’s candidates running for the election and continue providing a technical support to the election officials and stakeholders. In particular, the program gives political party access to key information, such as candidates with incorrect names and data, candidates who do not meet the age requirement for registration, candidates whose names do not appear on the official voter lists in the commune/Sangkat, candidates registered under more than one political party, candidates registered under more than one constituency, and candidates who did not exercised their right to vote in the latest general election organized by the NEC.
This training session was conducted over half a day, with the closing ceremony under the presidency of His Excellency Tep Nytha, the NEC Secretary General. His Excellency informed, “In order to be eligible to stand as a candidate for the Election of Commune/Sangkat Councils, citizens of both sexes shall meet the following requirements:
- Be Khmer nationality by birth.
- Be able to read and write in Khmer.
- Be registered in the voter lists of the commune/Sangkat where they intend to stand for election.
- Be at least 25 years of age on the Election Day (born before or by 7th June 2002).
- Having exercised the right to vote in the last general election conducted by the NEC (The Election of Members of the National Assembly for 7th Legislature, 2023), except of any reasonable justification for failing to exercise the right.
His Excellency further added, “There are two options for preparing the lists of political party’s candidates standing for the Election of Commune/Sangkat Councils for the 6th Mandate, 2027. The political parties can prepare the lists of political party’s candidates manually or request for a user account to access the computerized program for preparing the lists of political party’s candidates.
Among the aforementioned two options, His Excellency Tep Nytha encouraged all political parties to request for the user account to access the program for preparing the lists of political party’s candidates, as this program helps to solve many issues for the political parties and election officials.
His Excellency clarified, “According to the calendar for the Election of Commune/Sangkat Councils for the 6th Mandate, 2027, the reception of application forms for the registration of the lists of political party’s candidates at the CECs will last 3 days, from 5th to 7th March 2027. Therefore, every political party registering at the Ministry of Interior intending to contest in the upcoming election shall prepare the lists of political party’s candidates in advance by ensuring all necessary documents are properly prepared in accordance with the election laws, regulations, and procedures of the NEC.”
Before concluding this training session, His Excellency expressed his expectation that all political parties would apply for setting up the user account to test the program and prepare official candidate lists once the NEC validates the official voter lists 2026, so as to attach it to the applications for the registration of political party’s candidates on time. His Excellency also expressed his expectation that all political parties and stakeholders would continue working in close collaboration with the NEC to ensure the upcoming Election of Commune/Sangkat Councils for the 6th Mandate, 2027 to be conducted in free and fair manner in accordance with the principles of multi-party liberal democracy.
It is worth informing that the Election of Commune/Sangkat Councils for the 6th Mandate will take place on Sunday 6th June 2027.
