Rainsy accuses Hun Sen of ‘large-scale’ vote fraud
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia’s opposition predicted a loss for itself in yesterday’s national elections, which were expected to return to power Prime Minister Hun Sen, the country’s leader for 28 years.
The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) reported a late groundswell of support in urban areas, buoyed by its leader Sam Rainsy’s pardon and return to Cambodia after years of living abroad to avoid a prison sentence which he called politically motivated.
However, Sam Rainsy said yesterday the election results ‘‘were a foregone conclusion’’, charging that the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) was guaranteed a win because the vote was skewed to its advantage.
Polls had closed and official results were expected today in the fifth election in Cambodia’s democratic history. It was the country’s most peaceful vote with no political killings although there were some reports of fights breaking out at polling stations where voters could not find their names on voters lists.
In the capital, Phnom Penh, where economic growth under the CPP has been most apparent, luxury vehicles, such as Hummers and Range Rovers, were parked outside polling stations, many of them baring stickers supporting the ruling party.
Lines at a school being used as a polling station showed the diverse nature of the electorate, however, as one bejewelled woman in stilettos carried a small dog dressed in baby clothes while a young mother in flip-flops held her infant on her hip.
Saffron was seen everywhere as monks from the city’s many pagodas turned out to cast their votes.
‘‘I voted for the CNRP because we want change and we want a new leader,’’ said 28-year-old monk Vicheth, proudly displaying a purple finger after casting his ballot.
Hun Sen voted himself shortly after polling stations opened at 7am, holding up his inked finger for reporters and grinning confidently.
Sam Rainsy had no such photo opportunity because he is barred from voting because of his criminal convictions.
‘‘The opposition faces obstacles created by the ruling party,’’ he said, charging that CNRP supporters had been removed from voters lists, ink could be easily removed from voters’ fingers and voters lists contained thousands of duplicate names. ‘‘This is really large-scale manipulation,’’ he said.
Audits by election-monitoring groups this month found that more than 1 million voters in a country of 15 million people might be disenfranchised because of inaccurate voters lists. About 9.6 million people were registered to vote.
Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, Cambodia’s cabinet, maintained that the vote had been free and fair and said he was confident the CPP had won.
‘‘What Sam Rainsy said [about irregularities] is the rhetoric of the opposition,’’ the spokesman said. ‘‘They say they never care about the result. They don’t respect the will of the people at all.’’
The CPP has massive support in rural areas, where Cambodians credit Hun Sen with providing peace, stability and economic growth after years of war.
But the opposition’s platform of a higher minimum wage, pensions for the elderly and an end to the current government’s land grabs gained it some traction among Cambodians as thousands took to the streets of the capital this month to call for change.