Ruling party claims victory in Cambodia

Cambodia’s ruling party on Sunday claimed victory in the general election, amid criticism of voter intimidation and the absence of any significant challenger to Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled the country for 33 years.

Sok Eysan, spokesman of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, said they had won an estimated 100 out of 125 parliamentary seats.

“The CPP won 80% of all the votes”, he told Reuters.

Rights groups have labelled the election a “sham” as the country’s leading opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was dissolved last year.

Its leader, Kem Sokha, has been jailed on charges of treason.

“Unfortunately this Cambodian election is not going to be genuine and it’s not going to be free or fair. The problem is the opposition party, which won 44% in the local elections in 2017, has been barred. You’re talking about an election without an opposition,” said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia division, as voting was underway.

The CNRP had called for a boycott of the vote.

The European Union suspended funding for the election and has not sent any observers.

However, the CPP insists the vote was legitimate.