By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The number of political parties contesting Cambodia's upcoming general election is down from five years ago, officials said Wednesday, but the results are expected to be the same with a win for the longtime ruling party of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Eleven parties will contest the July 27 polls compared to 23 parties that participated in the last general election in 2003, said Tep Nitha, secretary-general of Cambodia's National Election Committee.
"Only 11 parties have been officially endorsed for taking part in the election. This number will not change," Tep Nitha said.
Lack of financial resources was one of the main reasons that smaller parties decided against running in the upcoming election, Tep Nitha said.
Analysts say that smaller parties don't pose a serious challenge to Hun Sen, whose party has a firm grass-roots presence, easy access to state-controlled media and financial resources unmatched by its rivals.
Hun Sen's biggest challengers will be Sam Rainsy, the main opposition leader and head of the namesake Sam Rainsy Party, and Kem Sokha, head of the Human Rights Party. Kem Sokha is a former human rights activist the prime minister once had jailed in a politically motivated defamation lawsuit.
Hun Sen's party will likely add more parliamentary seats to its current 73, leaving a smaller number to be split among its opponents, said Kek Galabru, president of the Cambodian human rights group Licadho.
"I have no doubt about it. All the factors are in favor of the ruling party," she said.
Hun Sen was initially made Cambodia's prime minister in 1985 by the Vietnamese-installed government that took power after toppling the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979. He became democratically elected in 1998 when his Cambodian People's Party won a general election.
More than 8 million out of the Cambodia's 14 million people are eligible to vote in the upcoming election, the election committee said.
Eleven parties will contest the July 27 polls compared to 23 parties that participated in the last general election in 2003, said Tep Nitha, secretary-general of Cambodia's National Election Committee.
"Only 11 parties have been officially endorsed for taking part in the election. This number will not change," Tep Nitha said.
Lack of financial resources was one of the main reasons that smaller parties decided against running in the upcoming election, Tep Nitha said.
Analysts say that smaller parties don't pose a serious challenge to Hun Sen, whose party has a firm grass-roots presence, easy access to state-controlled media and financial resources unmatched by its rivals.
Hun Sen's biggest challengers will be Sam Rainsy, the main opposition leader and head of the namesake Sam Rainsy Party, and Kem Sokha, head of the Human Rights Party. Kem Sokha is a former human rights activist the prime minister once had jailed in a politically motivated defamation lawsuit.
Hun Sen's party will likely add more parliamentary seats to its current 73, leaving a smaller number to be split among its opponents, said Kek Galabru, president of the Cambodian human rights group Licadho.
"I have no doubt about it. All the factors are in favor of the ruling party," she said.
Hun Sen was initially made Cambodia's prime minister in 1985 by the Vietnamese-installed government that took power after toppling the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979. He became democratically elected in 1998 when his Cambodian People's Party won a general election.
More than 8 million out of the Cambodia's 14 million people are eligible to vote in the upcoming election, the election committee said.
I don't know why Kanakpak Sangkum Khmer Yum, the well-known one in Long Beach is missing? Can you tell me, Dr. Keo Porng and Mr. Sarath Oeun?
ReplyDeleteI have read the up coming election article I feel great that we all Cambodians have involved in that election time,but one thing come up to my mind why there are so many parties in that just a small country and population is low if we compare to the neighboring countries.I wonder if these parties have enough members to run an election?If there are not enough they should join with any big party that have the same common goal:to build and to strength Cambodia.
ReplyDelete11:48PM! what country are you compare to, Thai, Malai , Indonesia, or Vietname, Laos, Burma, and China?
ReplyDeleteEvery one have the same goal Democracy! but a la Chinese or the western style?
Accept the reality and do your best fool!
SAMAKY SI ANKARM!
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY he mean those DICTATOR and puppet country 12:49 AM....
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY he mean those DICTATOR and puppet country 12:49 AM....
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt about it. All the factors are in favor of the ruling party," she said.
ReplyDeleteTo be exact, the ruling party in the government for the last 2 mandate consisted of CPP and FUNCIPEC as its junior partner. The fact is the FUNCIPEC popularity is at all time low and that is leaving CPP at much higher expectation, however, all the eligible voters will decide who will be the next person to lead the country but if IRI survey indicated 77% of Cambodians thought Cambodia is heading on the right direction then it would not be surprised at all that CPP would win the election and run the country alone without its junior partner for the 1st time.
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Eleven parties will contest the July 27 polls compared to 23 parties that participated in the last general election in 2003.
Love to see the big number of political parties contest in general election. However, each individual political party shall have known of their strength both popularity and financial well being. There is no point to collect enough signatures to form a party while there's no financial capability to sustain a party and no populairty and clear cut policy platform for the country
77% of Khmer people approved the government performance. That said it all as to who is going to win.
ReplyDeleteNope. The bloody Viet trollers, parasites, plunderers and cock sucker like yourself @ 4:02 AM are so scared of the will and determination of the Cambodian people to get rid of ah Hun Sen's Viet puppet thus deciding to hog and spam KI-Media day and night since day one...You damn Viet parasites including that self-proclaimed Free-thinker Viet's slave arse kisser Klaus Englehart...eh!
ReplyDeleteYou Viet parasites must remember the universal language:
"The world sees and knows the Viet's true color already"
Go home to Hanoi Viet parasite!
Go home to Hanoi Klaus Englehart!