PHNOM PENH (AFP) — Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party won nearly 60 percent of the vote in early returns from weekend polls, according to a partial count Monday by Cambodian election authorities.
Initial returns from 11 of the nation's 24 provinces showed that the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) had won 59.8 percent of the 1.6 million votes counted so far.
The main opposition Sam Rainsy Party took 22.9 percent of the ballots counted by Monday morning, the National Election Committee said. The rest of the votes were divided among a slate of smaller parties.
Election authorities did not release results by constituency, and gave no estimate of how many seats each party had won in parliament. Voter turnout had not yet been calculated.
CPP spokesman Khieu Kanharith claimed victory late Sunday, saying the party had captured at least 91 of the 123 seats in parliament, giving them more than a two-thirds majority.
If the official results confirm the party's own tally, the opposition would have little room to manoeuvre against Hun Sen , who at 55 has already ruled Cambodia for 23 years.
He has vowed to remain in power until he is 90 years old, and has relentlessly undercut his political rivals.
Hun Sen's coalition partner in the last government, the royalist Funcinpec, has imploded and splintered under the weight of internal scandals that prompted the party's erstwhile leader Prince Norodom Ranariddh to flee into exile in Kuala Lumpur.
Hun Sen had been widely tipped to win due to a booming economy that has helped improve the quality of life in one of the world's poorest nations, and due to nationalist sentiment sparked by the border feud with Thailand.
He was so confident of victory that his government on Monday was set to hold a new round of border talks with Thailand, even before his re-election has been confirmed.
Initial returns from 11 of the nation's 24 provinces showed that the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) had won 59.8 percent of the 1.6 million votes counted so far.
The main opposition Sam Rainsy Party took 22.9 percent of the ballots counted by Monday morning, the National Election Committee said. The rest of the votes were divided among a slate of smaller parties.
Election authorities did not release results by constituency, and gave no estimate of how many seats each party had won in parliament. Voter turnout had not yet been calculated.
CPP spokesman Khieu Kanharith claimed victory late Sunday, saying the party had captured at least 91 of the 123 seats in parliament, giving them more than a two-thirds majority.
If the official results confirm the party's own tally, the opposition would have little room to manoeuvre against Hun Sen , who at 55 has already ruled Cambodia for 23 years.
He has vowed to remain in power until he is 90 years old, and has relentlessly undercut his political rivals.
Hun Sen's coalition partner in the last government, the royalist Funcinpec, has imploded and splintered under the weight of internal scandals that prompted the party's erstwhile leader Prince Norodom Ranariddh to flee into exile in Kuala Lumpur.
Hun Sen had been widely tipped to win due to a booming economy that has helped improve the quality of life in one of the world's poorest nations, and due to nationalist sentiment sparked by the border feud with Thailand.
He was so confident of victory that his government on Monday was set to hold a new round of border talks with Thailand, even before his re-election has been confirmed.
7 comments:
Choyo Ah Hun Xen you win the election so you will be my stupid leader for another five years. Bravo Ah Khvack!!!
Don't worry, mate. There will be plenty of Viet's shit for you to eat.
Cheyo!
The New Sun rising on the old Kingdom! Samdech Preah Bat Maha Decho Hun Sen Varman.
We the Cambodian people will not complain of anyting as long as the other party is not in power.
Since along run with the Royal Family parties were down hill we never fell anyone elese dare with us.
Our first gold is to fall down the Royal parties, and the other is next and next...bring them into chaos Scenarios.
cHEYO, bANG pao on Vietnam , you are welcome to sttele in cambodia anytime andvote for us. the whole land is for you. Thanks for voting the CPP in. Yu help are alway there, good pals, in deed.
I was given two options when I went to the poll: ballot for Hun Sen or bullet into my heard; the choice was obviously clear. I had no other choice -- so did others!
Phnom Penh University Student
My name was taken from the voting registration because I intended to vote for the opposition. Thousands more opposition voters were taken out of the voting registration by the ruling party (CPP).
CPP won! CPP won! Yahoooo! Yes! Yes! Yes!
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