Votes split in close contests
PREDICTIONS that a proliferation of small political parties would splinter the opposition vote may have been borne out at Sunday’s commune election polls, prompting social media outcry from CNRP supporters, even as smaller parties bristled at the accusation they had stolen votes destined for the main opposition.
Though official results remained incomplete as of yesterday, The Post was able to identify at least 30 communes where the total number of votes won by small parties was greater than the margin by which the Cambodia National Rescue Party lost to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.
In Taing Yab commune in Takeo province, for example, the CNRP lost to the CPP by only six votes, while the newcomer Grassroots Democracy Party won over 151 voters. In Damnak Sokram commune in Kampot province, the CNRP received 580 votes to the CPP’s 810 votes – a margin of 230 – while the GDP took in 386.
CNRP supporters were quick to take to Twitter to point out the possibility that the GDP had siphoned votes away from the opposition party. “Small parties are helping CPP to win,” one user wrote, even suggesting that they may have been hired by the ruling party to do so.
“I recommend you to do research before making this kind of statement. We compete with both parties,” countered Yang Saing Koma, founder and president of the CONTINUED
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