Cambodia: expected victory of the ruling party in the local elections

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen votes during local elections in Takhmua, southeast of Pnom Penh, June 5, 2022. © Heng Sinith / AP

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In Cambodia, nine million registered voters were called to the polls on Sunday, June 5, with the main challenge of these municipal elections: to see the viability of the political opposition, nearly five years after the dissolution of the main opposition party.

The official results are not expected before June 26, but faced with the well-oiled machine of the Cambodian people's party, the opposition of the Party of the candle does not seem to have obtained the hoped-for results.

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With our correspondent in Phnom Penh,

As of Sunday evening, several provincial governors, members of the ruling party, anticipated a

for the party chaired by

Sen.

Opposite, the opponents of the Party of the candle did not seem to contradict them but denounced the pressures undergone by the candidates and the voters.

ambitions

The ambitions of the Party of the Candle, reformed only a few months before the elections, were great: to recover a maximum of municipalities acquired from the PSNC, the main opposition party during the municipal elections of 2017.

Fruit of the alliance in 2012 of the parties of Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha, the party then obtained nearly 44% of the vote.

But a few months later, the PSNC was accused of conspiracy and was dissolved at the end of 2017, despite criticism of the government.

Several human rights organizations have since deplored

in the country, while the Cambodian political opposition has shrunk to a trickle.

If 17 parties would compete in these elections, none has the current base of the Cambodian People's Party, led by Prime Minister Hun Sen,

.

Majority for the ruling party

A foundation which continued to intimidate, convince or seduce Cambodian voters, but which could also be reaffirmed by Sunday's ballot.

The announcement of preliminary results continued this morning in Cambodia but the ruling party is expected to retain an overwhelming majority of commune chief positions at stake.

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• Cambodia

• Hun-sen