Lisa Murray in Phnom Penh
The Sydney Morning Herald
THE ruling Cambodian People's Party has claimed victory in general elections, setting the stage for the Prime Minister, Hun Sen, to extend his 23-year grip on power.
"We won the election," party spokesman Khieu Kanharith told AFP. "We are leading in most of the provinces."
He added the party was not yet sure of its margin of victory, as ballots were still being counted.
Earlier Khieu Kanharith had predicted the party would win 80 of the 123 seats in parliament, just shy of a two-thirds majority, as the party siphoned away votes from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party and royalist Funcinpec.
Official results from the National Election Committee are not expected until next month.
The country's 15,000 polling stations opened for eight hours of balloting, conducted under the eyes of 17,000 observers. More than eight million people were registered to vote.
The ruling party said it hoped to expand its parliamentary majority and form a single-party government.
After the 2003 elections, Cambodia was plunged into a year of political deadlock amid talks over a coalition government with Funcinpec.
But under new rules, the party needs just a simple majority to form a government, instead of the two-thirds needed in the past.
Roughly 70 per cent of the country's voters cast their ballot in the fourth elections since the United Nations brokered a peace deal between Cambodia's Vietnamese-backed government and the Khmer Rouge in 1991.
Although observers declared the election free and fair, they expressed concern about media bias and allegations of violence and vote buying.
A journalist for an opposition-party-backed newspaper and his son were killed this month.
"It's very worrying because it contributed to a climate of fear among journalists," said Martin Callanan, a member of the European Parliament and the European Union's chief observer. "There is already a heavy bias to the CPP in the media."
Mr Callanan said his team was concerned about the use of government resources and the disappearance of more than 50,000 names from the registered voters list.
There is no evidence to suggest these names were scratched for political reasons.
However, the Herald spoke yesterday to three voters who had been left off the list, and all were opposition party supporters.
"It is very important for me to vote," said Sok Lakhena, 25.
Her need to vote is not just because she wants to see a change of government. Voters are required to dip their finger in ink after they have cast their ballot to ensure they do not vote twice.
"My company gave me a holiday so that I could vote, and they will look for the mark on my finger tomorrow."
One man said he voted for the Sam Rainsy Party because he believed the country needed to overhaul its legal system and stamp out corruption.
But with the booming tourism, garment and construction sectors underpinning average economic growth of 9.5 per cent since 2000, many voters opted for no change.
"I hope the economy, security and education will all be better," said Khim Phally, who has eight children.
with Agence France-Presse
"We won the election," party spokesman Khieu Kanharith told AFP. "We are leading in most of the provinces."
He added the party was not yet sure of its margin of victory, as ballots were still being counted.
Earlier Khieu Kanharith had predicted the party would win 80 of the 123 seats in parliament, just shy of a two-thirds majority, as the party siphoned away votes from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party and royalist Funcinpec.
Official results from the National Election Committee are not expected until next month.
The country's 15,000 polling stations opened for eight hours of balloting, conducted under the eyes of 17,000 observers. More than eight million people were registered to vote.
The ruling party said it hoped to expand its parliamentary majority and form a single-party government.
After the 2003 elections, Cambodia was plunged into a year of political deadlock amid talks over a coalition government with Funcinpec.
But under new rules, the party needs just a simple majority to form a government, instead of the two-thirds needed in the past.
Roughly 70 per cent of the country's voters cast their ballot in the fourth elections since the United Nations brokered a peace deal between Cambodia's Vietnamese-backed government and the Khmer Rouge in 1991.
Although observers declared the election free and fair, they expressed concern about media bias and allegations of violence and vote buying.
A journalist for an opposition-party-backed newspaper and his son were killed this month.
"It's very worrying because it contributed to a climate of fear among journalists," said Martin Callanan, a member of the European Parliament and the European Union's chief observer. "There is already a heavy bias to the CPP in the media."
Mr Callanan said his team was concerned about the use of government resources and the disappearance of more than 50,000 names from the registered voters list.
There is no evidence to suggest these names were scratched for political reasons.
However, the Herald spoke yesterday to three voters who had been left off the list, and all were opposition party supporters.
"It is very important for me to vote," said Sok Lakhena, 25.
Her need to vote is not just because she wants to see a change of government. Voters are required to dip their finger in ink after they have cast their ballot to ensure they do not vote twice.
"My company gave me a holiday so that I could vote, and they will look for the mark on my finger tomorrow."
One man said he voted for the Sam Rainsy Party because he believed the country needed to overhaul its legal system and stamp out corruption.
But with the booming tourism, garment and construction sectors underpinning average economic growth of 9.5 per cent since 2000, many voters opted for no change.
"I hope the economy, security and education will all be better," said Khim Phally, who has eight children.
with Agence France-Presse
1 comment:
This is unfair why CPP eliminate 200,000 people from the voting list in Pnom Penh?
This is completely wrong.
This is not democracy at all.
This is no freedom for Cambodian people in Phnom Penh.
I urge all people in Phnom Penh need to protest.
Need re-vote in Phom Penh!
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