Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen shows his ink-stained finger to the media after casting his ballot as his wife Bunrany (L) smiles at a polling station during the general election at Takmoa town in Kandal province, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh July 27, 2008. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea27 July 2008
By Pen Bona
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Since the opening of the polling station, at 7:00AM, on this Sunday 27 July, the outgoing prime minister came to vote at this station located at a school in Takhmao, Kandal province, not too far from his official residence.
Dressed for the occasion in a government uniform, gold rim glasses on his nose, Hun Sen wanted to project an image of a simple citizen coming to cast his ballot. For once, there was no siren sound, no bodyguards in flashy uniform, Hun Sen tried to be discrete.
Accompanied by his wife, his father and some high ranking government officials, Hun Sen, who, in the past month, limited his public appearance during the election campaign, attracted the attention of reporters who came in large number to see him vote.
In front of polling office, several dozens of voters were lining up. At is arrival, the chief of the Provincial Election Committee (PEC) invited him to vote by cutting the line in front of everybody else. Hun Sen saluted the people present before entering the polling office. After he dropped his ballot in the box, under the buzzing of flashlights from photographers, he refused to give any declaration, “in respect of the rule set by the National Election Committee (NEC), which prohibited all propaganda inside the polling station, I will not make any comment,” Hun Sen said.
The most well known CPP candidate preferred talking about the satisfying situation of the election process: “Up to now, the situation of this election is rather satisfactory. I hope that between now and the end of the ballot casting, the general atmosphere will remain good,” he declared before leaving the polling office.
Dressed for the occasion in a government uniform, gold rim glasses on his nose, Hun Sen wanted to project an image of a simple citizen coming to cast his ballot. For once, there was no siren sound, no bodyguards in flashy uniform, Hun Sen tried to be discrete.
Accompanied by his wife, his father and some high ranking government officials, Hun Sen, who, in the past month, limited his public appearance during the election campaign, attracted the attention of reporters who came in large number to see him vote.
In front of polling office, several dozens of voters were lining up. At is arrival, the chief of the Provincial Election Committee (PEC) invited him to vote by cutting the line in front of everybody else. Hun Sen saluted the people present before entering the polling office. After he dropped his ballot in the box, under the buzzing of flashlights from photographers, he refused to give any declaration, “in respect of the rule set by the National Election Committee (NEC), which prohibited all propaganda inside the polling station, I will not make any comment,” Hun Sen said.
The most well known CPP candidate preferred talking about the satisfying situation of the election process: “Up to now, the situation of this election is rather satisfactory. I hope that between now and the end of the ballot casting, the general atmosphere will remain good,” he declared before leaving the polling office.
