Cambodians vote in ‘sham’ election
Cambodians voted on Sunday in an election set to extend strongman premier Hun Sen’s 33 years in power after the only credible opposition party was dissolved, effectively turning the country into a one-party state.
Hun Sen, who came to power in 1985 in a country still plagued by civil war, cracked down on dissent in the run-up to the poll, pressuring civil society, media and his political opponents.
The 65-year-old, a one-time defector from the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, has pointed to stability and growth as gifts of his rule — a message that resonates with his base. “Prime Minister Hun Sen is the saviour of the country,” said voter Sim Chantha. “I voted for him and the Cambodian People’s Party.” Ruling party spokesperson Sok Eysan predicted a landslide victory and said people “flocked to vote”.
But there was also despondency and indifference to the predictable poll, with many closely watching the turnout for signs of a snub to the premier. “I did not go to vote. I slept at home,” said Khem Chan Vannak, a former commune chief elected with the now-banned opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party. “A lot of my friends did not go to vote.” Western governments withdrew assistance from the poll, citing its lack of credibility, with rights groups and the opposition describing it as a knockout blow to the democratic process.