Cambodia’s ruling party claims landslide win in one-sided election
THE party of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen declared a landslide victory in a general election on Sunday (Jul 23), a vote that critics widely dismissed as a sham aimed at cementing the party’s rule before an expected transfer of power to his eldest son.
The contest was effectively a one-horse race, with Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), a political behemoth with a vast war chest, facing no viable opponent after a ruthless, years-long crackdown on its rivals.
Polls closed with a turnout of 84 per cent according to the election committee, with 8.1 million people voting in a much-criticised contest between CPP and 17 mostly obscure parties, none of which won seats in the last election in 2018.
The only opponent with any real clout was disqualified from running.
Self-styled strongman Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for 38 years, had brushed off all Western concern about the election’s credibility, determined to prevent any obstacle in his carefully calibrated transition to his anointed successor and eldest son, Hun Manet.
No timeframe had been given for the handover until Thursday, when Hun Sen signalled his son “could be” prime minister next month, depending on “whether Hun Manet will be able to do it or not”. He needed to win a National Assembly seat to become prime minister, which was likely. CPP spokesperson Sok Eysan said of Hun Manet: “It’s very clear he has got elected.”
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Hun Sen said the turnout – the second highest in three decades – proved calls by his mostly overseas-based rivals to undermine the election with protest ballots had failed.
The 70-year-old former Khmer Rouge cadre has ruled since 1985 and faced no real contest in the poll, with opposition parties banned, challengers forced to flee and freedom of expression stifled.
Hun Sen’s CPP is expected to retain all 125 seats in the Lower House, prolonging his grip on power and paving the way for a dynastic succession that some critics have compared to North Korean politics.
Over the last 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 would hand over to his son, four-star general Hun Manet – possibly even in the coming weeks.
Many wonder whether Hun Manet, educated in the United States and Britain, might bring change to the country – though Hun Sen has made it clear he intends to keep pulling strings even after his son takes over.
Asked by AFP what he planned to do for Cambodia when he became prime minister, Hun Manet replied: “I have no comment on that.”
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 polls were of “profound concern”.
The only real challenge to the CPP had come from the Candlelight Party (CP). But in May, the country’s electoral body refused to register the party, rendering it ineligible to compete.
The decision came after the CP performed better than expected at last year’s local elections, winning 22 per cent of the popular vote.
Internationally, Hun Sen has played off tensions between the United States and China, racking up huge sums in Chinese investment that came with no demands for democratic reforms.
Speaking before the vote, the CP told AFP that the registration decision meant there was no way the election could be either free or fair.
“Everyone knows who will win,” said Rong Chhun, the party’s vice-president.
There was similar despondency among some people voting under heavy police presence at a dusty polling station in Phnom Penh.
“I don’t feel excited or anything because there are no opposition parties left,” Oum Sokum, 51, told AFP.
But in a country that was torn apart within living memory by genocide and war, others said they were happy to vote for stability.
“I want to vote for the person who can help the country become more developed. I want to live in peace and have harmony,” Chea Phearak, 36, told AFP.
Ahead of the election, freedom of speech has been heavily stifled, with one of the few remaining independent news outlets, Voice of Democracy, shut down earlier this year.
And last month, Hun Sen ordered election laws changed, banning anyone who fails to vote in the poll from ever running for office – a move that will affect exiled rivals.
Among them is long-time foe Sam Rainsy, in self-exile in France for almost a decade to avoid criminal convictions he says are politically motivated.
Domestically, opposition leader Kem Sokha languishes under house arrest, after being sentenced to 27 years for treason over an alleged plot with foreigners to topple Hun Sen’s government.
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