Gov’t to use 76K troops for polls
THE government will deploy roughly 76,000 police, gendarmerie officers and army troops to monitor next year’s commune ballot, while thousands will be assigned in coming months to monitor the voter registration process and the election campaign.
At a meeting yesterday at the Interior Ministry, National Police Commissioner Neth Savoeun said authorities will deploy 5,236 local and military police during the nationwide registration period, which kicks off on Thursday.
For the two-week campaign preceding the vote, 19,311 members of Cambodia’s security forces will work to “protect” voters, including local police and military police and troops from the armed forces.
On election day – June 4 next year – about 76,000 officers from the police, gendarmerie and army will be on duty, Savoeun said.
“The purpose is to secure safety and public order during the registration days and for the election day and to make sure the procedure runs smoothly with no intimidation and no violence,” the police chief said.
Savoeun said local police would be assigned to polling stations, while army troops would remain at district-level facilities on standby.
This will also be the case during the voter registration period, when military police officers will remain at district headquarters.
According to the Commune Election Law, weapons are not allowed within 100 metres of the voting booth, even if CONTINUED
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