Elections

Opposition figure Sam Rainsy formally called for a boycott of this year’s national election in the name of the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party on Saturday, though some former senior party leaders challenged his authority to speak on behalf of the opposition. ...

Interior Minister Sar Kheng told provincial security forces in Kratie on Thursday to remain vigilant for any opposition activity in the run-up to July’s national elections, while also warning that a popular opposition movement would only come about from the government’s failure to cater to ...

In a closed-door meeting with garment industry union leaders on Sunday, Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered his audience to ensure that factory workers don’t organise political protests or associate with the remnants of the now-dissolved opposition party. While no audio from the speech was released ...

Some 80,000 security personnel will be deployed for July’s upcoming national election, including a volunteer “citizen” force, raising concerns from election and rights observers about possible voter intimidation. State newswire AKP reported the numbers on Thursday, writing that the forces “will be deployed to ensure ...

A local election watchdog on Wednesday issued a statement denying that it intended to destroy the upcoming national election on July 29. In its statement on Wednesday, the Committee for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia responded to media reports that accused it of aiming ...

The upcoming national election on July 29 will take place as scheduled despite no officials from civil society being registered to monitor the process, a senior CPP official said yesterday. Sok Eysan, spokesman for the ruling CPP, said that the national election was approaching and ...

The Grassroots Democratic Party has created a 125-point policy document outlining its priorities were it to be elected to office in the July national elections. The fledgling party has said that it will contest the elections, though any further deterioration in the country’s current political ...

The National Election Committee announced on Friday that Phnom Penh and all provincial election committees would recruit 702 short-term contract officials to work for the upcoming national election in July. ...

The National Election Committee announced yesterday that the number of National Assembly seats for the upcoming national election will increase by two, bringing the total to 125. NEC spokesman Dim Sovannarom said that two more seats were added to the 123-seat National Assembly in compliance with ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Tuesday that a meeting with Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Taro Kono next week would not include discussions of the dissolved CNRP, affirming his commitment to holding this year’s elections while rejecting the possibility of negotiations or pardons for the ...

Four months out from the July elections, senior Cambodian People’s Party officials at home and abroad have called on people to exercise their vote in July – even if they don’t vote for the CPP – amid predictions of low turnout and waning enthusiasm for ...

The UN’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Cambodia yesterday asked the Interior Minister to justify the dissolution of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party. Rhona Smith is on a 10-day mission to the Kingdom and yesterday held a closed-door meeting with Interior Minister Sar ...

The National Election Committee yesterday announced the official Senate election results, confirming that the ruling CPP secured all 58 seats to be filled.​ According to the official results, the CPP received 11,202 votes, Funcinpec received 276, the Khmer National United Party received 182 and the ...

Fresh off a clean sweep in the Senate elections on Sunday, a ruling party spokesman and newly elected senator yesterday espoused the benefits of one-party rule in Cambodia, pointing to the example of chief patron China while glossing over longstanding concerns about the superpower’s human ...

Absent any legitimate competition, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party swept all 58 elected seats in Sunday’s Senate elections, giving it near-absolute control in the upper house of parliament, according to preliminary results. The four-party ballot was expected to be a blowout for the CPP, given its ...

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reaffirmed his commitment to the country and the upcoming national election as Kem Sokha’s daughter has taken to social media to demand an explanation as to why Japan is supporting an “artificial” election. Last week Japan’s ambassador to Cambodia, Hidehisa ...

With the absence of independent election monitors like Comfrel and Nicfec, Sunday’s Senate elections will be monitored by a hodgepodge of associations, with some representing the pharmacy, travel and hospitality industries, and another run by Hun Many, son of Prime Minister Hun Sen. ...

Amid widespread international condemnation of Cambodia’s upcoming elections, Japan pledged an additional $7.5 million worth of equipment for the July polls this morning. The grant, signed by Foreign Affairs Minister Prak Sokhonn and Japanese Ambassador Hidehisa Horinouchi, will provide “ballot boxes as well as other ...

The National Election Committee said yesterday that three political parties standing for next week’s Senate election have done very little campaigning, while NGOs said it was a consequence of the main opposition party being dissolved. According to an NEC press release, the three parties that have ...

NGOs and foreigners have been warned that they could face fines or expulsion from the country for causing confusion or affecting the results of the upcoming Senate elections. NEC spokesman Hang Puthea said the NEC has made regulations and procedures based on existing laws in Cambodia. ...

The Senate election campaign kicked off with little fanfare on Saturday, with only the ruling Cambodian People’s Party holding a large public event. The campaign period will last 14 days, ending two days before the February 25 polls. ...

The first day of campaigning for Senate elections began on Saturday, with only the ruling CPP having a large march in Takeo province, according to the National Election Committee.The NEC said the march was attended by more than 1,000 people, about 300 cars and about ...

The National Election Committee yesterday revealed locations in Phnom Penh that political parties will be banned from using for campaigning prior to the upcoming Senate election on February 25.The NEC has banned all political parties from campaigning on nine major boulevards in Phnom Penh, along ...

The Ministry of Interior yesterday instructed provincial authorities to “make it easy” for parties preparing for the upcoming national elections, including facilitating the building of party banners and the holding of meetings – after a year in which the government systematically removed CNRP banners and ...