Eleven parties are contesting the polls, but the ruling Cambodia's People's Party is expected to win [AFP]Saturday, July 26, 2008
Al Jazeera
Allegations of voter intimidation are being made a day ahead of parliamentary elections in Cambodia.
Eleven parties are competing in Sunday's national poll, the fourth since decades of civil war ended.
Voters are expected to back the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) for another five-year term and return Hun Sen, the prime minister, who has been in power for 23 years.
Campaigning has been marred by accusations of intimidation and vote buying amid a heightened nationalist sentiment over a border dispute with Thailand.
Few believe Sam Rainsy, the former finance minister and main opposition leader, will beat Hun Sen.
Sam Rainsy Party is expected to maintain its strength in the capital, but not in rural Cambodia, where most voters live.
'CPP will win'
Talks between Thailand and Cambodia on Monday have failed to end a military stand-off over the disputed Preah Vihear temple on their border, lrecently isted by Unesco as a World Heritage Site.
Hang Puthea, head of the election monitoring group Nicfec, said campaigning had been largely overshadowed by concerns over the temple.
"People are more focused on the border issue at Preah Vihear temple than on the election," he told AFP.
Boonsrang Niumpradit, Thailand's supreme commander, the result of the talks was to allow soldiers to stay in their current positions at the temple, but avoid any confrontation.
Hun Sen has accused Thailand of ignoring international law and threatening regional peace by sending troops into the disputed zone around the temple.
Poor track record
Chea Vannath, an independent political analyst, said: "There is no doubt that CPP will win the election."
At least 8.1m people are registered to vote at 15,000 polling stations, under the supervision of more than 13,000 domestic and international observers.
Previous polls held in Cambodia, have been hit by violence. Scores of people - mainly opposition supporters and activists - were killed or beaten in the run-up to elections in 1998.
Election monitors say political violence has diminished greatly compared to past polls, however, unequal access to the media is being criticised.
The main government controls almost all of Cambodia's broadcast media, while the CPP maintains a vast network in rural Cambodia, inherited from the party's communist days.
At least 35 per cent of Cambodia's 14m people live on less than 50 US cents a day.
However, economic growth has averaged about 11 per cent over the past three years, creating a sense of optimism in a country that recently emerged from decades of civil war in 1998.
Analysts say the main question going into the polls is whether CPP will be able to increase the 71 seats it already holds in the 23-member parliament.
Eleven parties are competing in Sunday's national poll, the fourth since decades of civil war ended.
Voters are expected to back the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) for another five-year term and return Hun Sen, the prime minister, who has been in power for 23 years.
Campaigning has been marred by accusations of intimidation and vote buying amid a heightened nationalist sentiment over a border dispute with Thailand.
Few believe Sam Rainsy, the former finance minister and main opposition leader, will beat Hun Sen.
Sam Rainsy Party is expected to maintain its strength in the capital, but not in rural Cambodia, where most voters live.
'CPP will win'
Talks between Thailand and Cambodia on Monday have failed to end a military stand-off over the disputed Preah Vihear temple on their border, lrecently isted by Unesco as a World Heritage Site.
Hang Puthea, head of the election monitoring group Nicfec, said campaigning had been largely overshadowed by concerns over the temple.
"People are more focused on the border issue at Preah Vihear temple than on the election," he told AFP.
Boonsrang Niumpradit, Thailand's supreme commander, the result of the talks was to allow soldiers to stay in their current positions at the temple, but avoid any confrontation.
Hun Sen has accused Thailand of ignoring international law and threatening regional peace by sending troops into the disputed zone around the temple.
Poor track record
Chea Vannath, an independent political analyst, said: "There is no doubt that CPP will win the election."
At least 8.1m people are registered to vote at 15,000 polling stations, under the supervision of more than 13,000 domestic and international observers.
Previous polls held in Cambodia, have been hit by violence. Scores of people - mainly opposition supporters and activists - were killed or beaten in the run-up to elections in 1998.
Election monitors say political violence has diminished greatly compared to past polls, however, unequal access to the media is being criticised.
The main government controls almost all of Cambodia's broadcast media, while the CPP maintains a vast network in rural Cambodia, inherited from the party's communist days.
At least 35 per cent of Cambodia's 14m people live on less than 50 US cents a day.
However, economic growth has averaged about 11 per cent over the past three years, creating a sense of optimism in a country that recently emerged from decades of civil war in 1998.
Analysts say the main question going into the polls is whether CPP will be able to increase the 71 seats it already holds in the 23-member parliament.
7 comments:
On Monday July 28th 2008,
Samdech Preah Maha Decho Hun Sen will become the nation HERO and the Prime Minister. The CPP is the principle of the Cambodia, the master in politics, the strategist of the problems solving, the role model of all parties. The wins wins with none stop ruling party.
The security in the country is safe, the economy is growing, the stability is smooth and peaceful.
The investors is high, the development growing all over the country, The people happy of living in Cambodia.
The looser may go back home to where they come from with empty seats in the Assembly of ruling.
Samdech Preah Maha Decho Hun Sen is a Cambodian HERO the Sun Of Cambodia, the great grand sun of Hun Tein the King ruling Cambodia.
Cheyo!
The New Sun rising on the old Kingdom! Samdech Preah Bat Maha Decho Hun Sen Varman.
Down SRP, HRP, Func, Norodom and many others.... Chaos.
Has the CPP stopped vote intimidation, political killing, vote buying, pole stations closing/relocating w/o citizens awareness, etc?
Here's something a moral person to contemplate from president of Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel, who wrote, "The intellectual should constantly disturb, should bear witness to the misery of the world, should be provocative by being independent, should rebel against all hidden and open pressures and manipulations, should be the chief doubter of systems . ... and for this reason, an intellectual cannot fit into any role that might be assigned to him ... and essentially doesn't belong anywhere: he stands out as an irritant wherever he is."
Will SRP members plugged off one by one by the Kleptocratic party, or will it ever stopped?
I never saw that much land grabbing like this election.
This election is hell for cambodians.
land grabbing, thieves, killing, rapping, etc.
When i see the face of Ranariddh, i just wanna say : poor him. If he still believe in this blood sucko You Hockry, let's him live in peace in Malay.
Khmer Canadian
Ah Samdech Preah Maha Decho Hun Sen will become the nation HERO and the Prime Minister by coercive force to stay in power. The CPP is the principle of the Cambodia as continuation enforcing a mellenium of misery for the people of Cambodia, the master in politics in killing & intimidation, the strategist of the problems solving to increase yield in his offshore bank accounts --while the country GDP<1x10^9 ($250/capita), the role model of all parties to stay corrupted (robbed, depleted natural resources by selling to offshore firms, selling citizens to foreigners)until past 90s of age. The wins wins with none stop ruling party (Ah Samdech Preah Maha Decho Hun Sen will wins in PURGATORY as mistress by paying off HELLangkar.
The security in the country is safe for the elite officials while citizens in boarder being terrorized by neighbors, the economy is growing for the elites Khmers who continually robbed people while the inflation rate is sky rocketing to inflict more suffering the already poor folks, the stability is smooth & peaceful and straight to HELL.
The investors is high just among the ASEAN members, the development growing all over the neighboring countries EXCLUDING Cambodia, The people of the CPP are very happy of living in Cambodia because Samdech Preah Maha Decho Hun Sen paid us to be happy--he directed us what to do to keep a majority of the Khmers people ILLITERATE.
The looser (KHMERS CITIZENS)may go back home to suffer more under the ruling party (pro-youns party).
Samdech Preah Maha Decho Hun Sen is a Youns' HERO to many Youns immigrants to live in Cambodian without any registration; Samdech Preah Maha Decho Hun Sen is DIMMLY LIT RED DWARF Sun waiting to extinguish from Cambodia, the great grand sun of Hun Tein the King of the Killing Field & the rulers of Thieves.
Cheyo!
The New Sun rising on the old Kingdom to keep the Cambodia Kingdom in MISERY for a MELLENIUM more! Samdech Preah Bat Maha Decho Hun Sen Varman the is NEW SUN RISING FROM THE FLAME OF HELL FOR KHMER CITIZENS.
Unity is SRP, HRP, Func, Norodom and many others... Down Samdech Preah Bat Maha Decho Hun Sen Varman.
It's far beyond a decent person's imagination that up to these modern days there are some people who love to advocate an arrogant and ill-bred dictator?
Their pretext to the slow economy and development : We are coming out of the war.
I recall those NGO and cambodian's government that it's only take 15 years to develop a big company like Airbus.
Make cambodians literate, not peasants like today.
CPP build schools and make people poor. 2 opposite's direction.
Building schools to have the money from the donor's countries.
Khmer Canadian
NGO's members are corrupted too.
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