Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism has issued a directive banning the selling and drinking of alcohol for two days, a day before and on the commune election day.

“The owners or managers of karaoke parlours, nightclubs, discotheques, and beer gardens across the country must suspend their businesses for two days on June 4 and 5, 2022,” said the ministry’s permanent secretary of state, Tith Chantha, said on Tuesday. “The owners or managers of all tourism businesses that offer food services must also stop selling and serving alcoholic drinks for the two days mentioned above.” 

The move was to help ensure that the commune election on June 5 was free and fair without violence, threat, intimidation and incidents which could be compromised by alcohol consumption.

He advised tourism department chiefs across the Southeast Asian nation to promote the prohibition to all owners or managers of those entertainment facilities and businesses.

Meanwhile, according to a statement, the government has also decided in principle to allow workers to take fully paid three days off for the elections.

According to the National Election Committee (NEC), 17 political parties will contest in the upcoming elections, with the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and the opposition Candlelight Party being the major contestants.

The NEC said the elections were to choose commune chiefs and councillors for the country’s 1,652 communes. It added that about 9.2 million eligible voters, or 87.9 per cent of the total population of 18 years old and above, are expected to cast their votes.

Held once every five years, the fifth mandate of commune elections is seen as a bellwether of the party’s support ahead of the general elections in 2023.

In the last commune elections in June 2017, the CPP won 1,156 communes of 1,652.

(Xinhua/NAN)