INTRODUCTION

The right of all adult citizens to participate in the affairs of their government is one of the cornerstones of democracy. Perhaps the most fundamental form of participation is the right to vote in free and fair elections.

The ability to exercise the democratic right to vote is premised on the existence of a comprehensive and inclusive electoral register which is rigorously maintained to ensure that each eligible citizen is registered to vote once and only once.

VOTER REGISTRATION AND REVISION OF VOTER REGISTRATION IN CAMBODIA

In accordance with article 49 of the Law on the Election of Members of the National Assembly (LEMNA), registration of voters and the revision of the voter register of 2002 commenced on 14 January and concluded on 20 February 2003. This period included five days of extension, at the request of political parties and various civic bodies, to accommodate voters who were unable to register in the period originally prescribed. This voter registration also marked the beginning of an initiative by the NEC to move away from the periodic voter register and create a continuous voter register for future Cambodian elections. All over the country, 1,621 Commune Councils were delegated to conduct this exercise. New registrations and requests for corrections to existing voter data were handled by the Commune Clerks with help of Assistant Commune Clerks.