Just hours after the 2022 commune election, a photo showing a ballot printed only the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) was posted on social media. The claim over the photo implies the name of the opposition Candlelight Party was removed from the ballot – this means the CPP would win the election. After our investigation, however, we found the claim is misleading.
Social Media Claim
A day after the 2022 commune election ended, a Facebook user name ខ្មែរ សុវណ្ណភូមិ (Khmer Sovannphumi) posted a photo of a ballot which had only the name and logo of the Cambodian People’s Party printed for a local election in Phnom Penh.
The social media user’s caption read “Cheap! Where can CLP supporters vote for in the ballot which has only one box?” This implies that CLP was removed from the ballot by the electoral body so that the party supporters could not vote.
The claim over the photo had been shared several times along with a mixture of comments and reactions from social media users.
Please see the capture of the social media post below.
The photo along with the claim misled some Facebook users who may not really understand the process of the 2022 commune election.
The same photo and claim had been circulated on social media by other Facebook users. Please see the post here or another post here.
Fact Check
Fact Crescendo Cambodia began an inquiry into the claim above by interviewing with CLP official and an officer from the electoral body. Then, we find out facts as follows.
In an interview with Fact Crescendo Cambodia on June 05, CLP’s spokesman Thach Setha acknowledged his party was not on the ballot for the 2022 commune election in Sangkat Phsar Deum Kor.
He said the CLP’s candidates were removed from the list of registration after the National Election Committee (NEC) found out two of them could not read and write Khmer scripts.
Setha said CLP’s candidates in 10 Sangkat (communes) in Phnom Penh were removed from the 2022 commune election due to incompleteness.
Please listen to an interview with Thach Setha – CLP’s Vice President and Spokesman who explained why his party was not on the ballot in some communes.
Fact Crescendo Cambodia also talked to the electoral body NEC for explanation over this issue. NEC’s Spokesman Hang Puthea said only CPP’s candidates were allowed to run in the election for Sangkat Phsar Deum Kor.
Puthea said NEC officials decided to remove the list of the CLP’s candidates after it found out some candidates could not read and write and some criteria were not completed.
Puthea revealed that 86 of CLP’s candidates across the country were removed from running election after they could not complete some criteria required by NEC for the 2022 commune election.
The spokesman said 11 lists of CLP candidates across the country were removed from the election while NEC also removed one list of the Khmer Will Party’s candidates and one list of the Beehive Social Democratic Party’s candidates as well.
CLP registered for 1,623 communes of the country’s total 1,652 communes for the commune election this year, according to a list of candidates from political parties registered at NEC.
Listen to an interview with Hang Puthea who talked to Fact Crescendo Cambodia on June 06, a day after the election.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo Cambodia found out the claim mentioned above is misleading. The ballot having only CPP in Sangkat Phsar Deum Kor for the commune election this year is correct because there was only CPP running in the commune. CLP’s candidates were removed from the election after the electoral body found out some candidates could not read and write.
Title:Why Wasn’t CLP Printed on Some Ballots in Phnom Penh?
Fact Check By: Jay UdomResult: Misleading
