Cambodia’s ruling party yesterday declared that it was on course for a “landslide” victory in an election where all meaningful opposition to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was eliminated before polling day.
The 70-year-old former Khmer Rouge cadre has ruled since 1985 and faced no real contest in the vote, with opposition parties banned, challengers forced to flee and freedom of expression stifled.
His Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) is expected to retain all 125 seats in the lower house, prolonging his grip on power and paving the way for him to hand the reigns to his son in a dynastic succession some critics have compared to North Korean politics.
Photo: AFP
The only serious opposition party was disqualified on a technicality in the run-up to the polls, and it would be a surprise if any of the 17 other small, poorly funded parties win seats.
“We are winning a landslide,” CPP spokesman Sok Eysan said, about two hours after polls closed, with counting under way.
Official results were expected within hours.
More than 9.7 million people were registered to vote in Cambodia’s seventh election since the UN first sponsored polls in 1993, after years of conflict left the country devastated.
Over the past 30 years, whatever hopes the international community might have had for a vibrant multi-party democracy in Cambodia have been flattened by the juggernaut of Hun Sen’s rule.
The veteran prime minister has begun to look to the future, saying he plans to hand over to his son, Royal Cambodian Army Commander Hun Manet — possibly even in the coming weeks.
“We have exercised our civil right and responsibility and right ... of citizens to vote to choose the party we love to lead the country,” the 45-year-old scion told reporters after casting his ballot.
Rights groups have condemned the election.
On the eve of voting, a 17-strong coalition — including the Asian Network for Free Elections and the International Federation for Human Rights — said the election was of “profound concern.”
Voter turnout at 3:16pm was 78 percent, with 7,601,326 votes cast, the Cambodian National Election Committee said.
The only real challenge to the CPP had come from the Candlelight Party (CP), but Cambodia’s electoral body refused to register the party in May, rendering it ineligible to compete.
The CP said that the registration decision meant there was no way the vote could be free or fair.
“Everyone knows who will win,” CP Vice President Rong Chhun said.
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