Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 30 July 2018
With opposition silenced, Cambodia's Hun Sen coasts to win

By SOPHENG CHEANG Speaking from south of
JERRY HARMER Paris in Freteval where he
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia lives, Sam Rainsy told The
(AP) — Cambodia's ruling Associated Press that "it is
party has won Sunday's a meaningless victory be-
general election, the chief cause (Hun Sen) won with-
government spokesman out any real challenger
said, a widely expected ... prior to the election he
outcome in an election dissolved the only credible
slammed by rights groups opposition party."
as illegitimate, and which Hun Sen's Cambodian Peo-
ensures that long-ruling ple's Party was alarmed by
Prime Minister Hun Sen will the results of the 2013 elec-
serve another five year- tion, when the race was
term. close enough for the oppo-
Although 20 parties con- sition to claim that it would
tested the election, the have won had it not been
only one with the popularity for manipulation of the vot-
and organization to mount er registration process.
a real challenge, the Cam- Along with fracturing the
bodian National Rescue political opposition — in-
Party, was dissolved last cluding pressuring Sam
year by the Supreme Court Rainsy into exile and jailing
in a ruling generally seen as his successor, Kem Sokha —
political in nature. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen holds his ballot at a polling station in Takhmua, Kandal Hun Sen's government also
The government spokes- province, southeast of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, July 29, 2018. silenced critical voices in
man, Khieu Kanharith, con- Associated Press the media. Over the past
firmed to The Associated year, about 30 radio sta-
Press that the Cambodian cent of the vote in each of would not be credible. vote — signified by having tions shut down, and two
People's Party had topped the country's 25 provinces. Charging that the polls no fingers dipped in indel- English-language newspa-
the polls. He did not say Under the election's system were neither free nor fair, ible ink — made voters sub- pers that provided serious
how many of the of the 125 of proportional representa- the disbanded CNRP's for- ject to retaliation by local reporting were gutted, one
seats in the National As- tion, the party would likely mer leaders had urged officials who carry out civic forced to close and the
sembly the CPP had cap- grab more than 100 seats. people not to vote in what functions, such as land reg- other put under ownership
tured, but preliminary totals Local and foreign rights was dubbed a "Clean Fin- istration. There had been friendly to the government.
broadcast on state televi- groups, along with several ger" campaign because reports during the cam- Just ahead of the polls, the
sion showed that the party Western governments, had those who did cast ballots paign of threats against government ordered the
had won at least 70 per- agreed that the election had to dip a finger in indel- anyone who planned to temporary blocking of 17
ible ink, a practice meant boycott the vote. websites, citing regulations
to thwart multiple voting. Voters in Phnom Penh, prohibiting media from
According to detailed to- Cambodia's capital and disseminating information
tals released by the state an opposition stronghold, that might affect security.
National Election Commit- were less susceptible to The blocked websites in-
tee, more than 6.8 million such threats because of cluded those of the U.S.
registered voters, or 82.2 their higher visibility and government-funded Voice
percent, cast ballots. safety in numbers. Howev- of America as well as local
The figure, if correct, would er, according to the elec- media.
suggest that the promo- tion committee, even there Hun Sen, whose 33 years in
tion by opposition forces the turnout was about 80 power make him among
of a poll boycott was inef- percent. the world's longest-serving
fective. In the last general Doubts are also likely to be national leaders, promised
election in 2013, voter turn- raised about the actual peace and prosperity at a
out was 6.6 million, or 68.5 turnout figures because rally on the last day of cam-
percent of 9.7 million regis- several established poll- paigning on Friday, but at-
tered voters. watching groups — as well tacked the opposition's
Hun Sen said on his Face- as contingents from the boycott call and called
book page before the re- United States and the Eu- those who heed it "destroy-
sults were announced that ropean Union — declined ers of democracy."
he welcomed the big turn- to take part because they Hun Sen, 65, has said he in-
out, and congratulated his felt the polls were not le- tends to stay in power for
countrymen for exercising gitimate. One of the big- at least two more five-year
their right to vote. ger Cambodian groups terms.
Opposition forces, who participating in poll-watch- He was a member of the
had already judged the ing was led by one of Hun radical communist Khmer
polls not to be free or fair Sen's sons. Following the Rouge during its successful
because of the exclusion of election, exiled opposition five-year war to topple a
the only credible challeng- leader Sam Rainsy, who pro-American government,
er, can point to two rea- had earlier urged Cambo- then defected to Vietnam
sons for the alleged failure dians not to vote, called for during Khmer Rouge leader
of the boycott movement. peaceful protests, calling Pol Pot's 1975-79 genocidal
In rural areas where the it "a sham election with a regime that left nearly 2 mil-
majority live, the failure to foregone conclusion." lion Cambodians dead. q