China greets Hun Sen over election win
PM’s victory keeps Cambodia on development path, expert says
China expressed sincere congratulations, as a good neighbor and friend, on the successful election of the Cambodian National Assembly, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday.
Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s ruling CPP earned 4.86 million, or 77.5 percent, of the total valid votes, as well as winning all 125 seats in the National Assembly, according to National Election Committee’s preliminary results released on Monday.
“We wish the Cambodian people can achieve new and greater progress in the cause of national development under the leadership of the forthcoming new national assembly and government,” Geng said on Monday.
The comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Cambodia has maintained good momentum in recent years, Geng said. High-level exchanges are frequent between the two countries and mutually beneficial cooperation has been conducted in various areas.
These have brought concrete benefits to both countries and their people, and are also positively contributing to regional peace, stability and prosperity, he said.
China is willing to implement the important consensus reached with the leaders of Cambodia, and jointly forge a strategic community of shared future, thus putting forward bilateral ties to a new level, the spokesman added.
CPP spokesman Sok Eysan said the result “clearly reflects the confidence of the Cambodian people in the leadership of the CPP” and the people “believe that only the CPP can lead Cambodia to a prosperous country”.
Hun Sen expressed his gratitude to his compatriots for turning out to vote in large numbers on Sunday.
“The siblings have really chosen the path of democracy and exercised your rights as stated in the constitution, which is the country’s highest law,” he said on Facebook. “I thank all the people for voting to elect the lawmakers and ticking political parties that you like on the ballot papers.”
Zhang Xuegang, a research- er from China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said Hun Sen’s victory echoed the voices of Cambodians as he has made his efforts for the country’s development.
“Hun Sen’s series of policies have won the approval of the Cambodian people,” he said.
“During his terms, he focused on maintaining social stability and promoting economic revolution, and the country has seen remarkable achievements.”
Strong economic growth
Following more than two decades of strong economic growth, the World Bank upgraded the status of Cambodia’s economy from low-income to lower middle-income in 2015, with an average growth rate of 7.6 percent in 1994-2015, ranking sixth in the world.
According to the NEC, some 6.88 million, or 82.17 percent, of the 8.38 million eligible voters cast their ballots at all 22,967 polling stations across the country.
NEC chairman Sik Bun Hok said on Sunday that the voter turnout was much higher than in the 2013 election, when it was recorded at 69.61 percent.
Zhang said Cambodia has a special historical background, and must follow a development path chosen by its people and in line with the nation’s conditions.
“Cambodia requires a stable government to safeguard its further development as the country still needs to solve problems such as inadequate food and clothing,” he said. “Hun Sen’s victory is good news for Cambodia.”
With the victory, Hun Sen, who has been in power for 33 years, will lead the government for another five years.