Cambodia election 2018: Hun Sen’s party spokesman claims victory

Prime Minister Hun Sen’s party scooped 80 percent of the seats in Cambodian parliament, party’s spokesman Sok Eysan has declared despite results from across the country were still being announced by the National Election Commision (NEC).

He told Reuters: “The CPP won 80 percent of all the votes and we estimate we will win not less than 100 seats.”

The Cambodian parliament has a total 125 seats.

NEC said in a statement earlier today that voter turnout reached 82.71 percent, a stark increase compared to the 2013 turnout which was 69.61 percent.

Sik Bun Hok, chairman of the NEC, said in a televised news conference: “This is the success of the election. 

“This time is higher. Cambodia should be proud.”

But Cambodia’s vote, blasted by critics a “farcical ritual”, has been tainted with allegations it was “neither free nor fair”, as the election day has been described by members of the non-profit organisation ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR).

Ahead of the vote APHR wrote in a statement: “Cambodia’s parliamentary election on 29 July will be neither free nor fair, as the vote will take place in a highly repressive political environment while the only viable opposition force – the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) – has been banned from taking part.”

The CNRP, a party whose translation of the name means “Party of Rescuing the Nation”, has represented the main opposition to the CPP from 2012, when it was founded, to 2017. 

But the Supreme Court of Cambodia ruled last year to dissolve it amid charges the party took part in an international plot to overthrow the Prime Minister.

Its leader Kem Sokha was jailed amid treason charges.

As a consequence, the CPP has run unopposed in the 2018 election, as the other 19 parties running against it haven’t strongly opposed to the government

Non-profit organisation APHR said: “The dissolution of the CNRP means that millions of Cambodians will be denied a genuine choice at the polls this week. 

“This is a farcical ritual to rubber stamp Hun Sen’s grip on power.” 

The amount of people who voted is also up for debate, as Reuters reports that at a polling station near the river in the country capital Phnom Penh, election workers outnumbered voters and only a slow trickle of people arrived throughout the day. 

And many people are believed to have headed to the ballot amid fear of repercussions.

Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia Division, said authorities had warned voters that they will be deemed a “traitor” should they boycott the election. 

One voter, who did not wish to be identified, said not voting caused “too much trouble”.

The man added: “I did not want to vote but I did vote.”

A high voter turn-out is welcomed by CPP, as it bestows a veneer of legitimacy on the election.

Preliminary results are expected to trickle in at 6pm but official results are not expected until mid-August.