Cambodia's election committee invites political parties to register for general election

PHNOM PENH, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's National Election Committee (NEC) on Sunday invited political parties to register to contest in the July general election, according to its press release.

The registration for political parties and their candidates will start from April 30 to May 14, the release said.

"The registration is open for all political parties that have properly registered at the Ministry of Interior in accordance with the Law on Political Parties," it said. "The NEC is ready to hold the election on July 29, 2018."

The Southeast Asian nation holds a general election once in every five years.

In the last election on July 28, 2013, eight political parties joined the contest. As a result, the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen won 68 parliamentary seats against 55 seats for the now-defunct opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in the 123-seat parliament.

The CNRP was dissolved by the Supreme Court on Nov. 16 last year after its leader Kem Sokha was arrested on Sept. 3 last year and charged with "treason" for conspiring with a foreign power in an attempt to overthrow the government. Enditem