Cambodia's new election body to start functioning on April 13: PM

Cambodia's new National Election Committee (NEC) will be launched on April 13 after the National Assembly approved the new NEC's nine members on Thursday, Prime Minister Hun Sen said.

Some 113 of 117 lawmakers voted in favour of the nine members, including four each from the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), and one "neutral" person from a non-governmental organization.

"On Saturday, there will be a swearing-in ceremony of the newly- elected president, vice-president and members of the new NEC," he told reporters after the voting session. "And a power transfer ceremony from the old NEC to the new NEC will be held on Monday at the NEC headquarters."

The new NEC was introduced after Hun Sen and CNRP President Sam Rainsy reached an agreement on July 22 to end the opposition's 10- month boycott of the National Assembly following the 2013 elections.

Both Hun Sen and Sam Rainsy have confidence that the new NEC will ensure free and fair national elections in 2018 and prevent post-election deadlock.

"I'm confident that the reformed NEC will end the concerns of our people and businessmen over post-election crisis," Hun Sen said.

Sam Rainsy said, "From now on, the Cambodian people will have confidence in the future elections. Definitely, there will be no post-election dispute in the future."

Under the new election law, any party, that wins one or more parliamentary seats in the election but boycotts the National Assembly when the king convenes, will be deemed to have abandoned seats. Endi