Cambodia election proves Facebook more than just a social network
When the National Election Committee (NEC) released its updated preliminary election results this Monday, confirming a narrow win by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), opposition leader Sam Rainsy posted his reaction to the announcement on his Facebook page. Rainsy questioned the release of the results by the body in spite of a pending independent investigation into alleged irregularities. “This quick announcement of the temporary election results by the NEC shows it seems to be under pressure by a powerful person, ” he wrote. And his supporters agreed. Facebook saw many reactions to the election results from young Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) sympathisers, who have been rallying for change online throughout the election period. Not only was this one of the most heated elections in a decade, with opposition scoring significant gains, it was also unprecedented in terms of participation by tech-savvy youth. According to the Phnom Penh Post, out of the 9.6 million voters registered to cast their ballot in the 28 July election, 3.5 million were between 18 to 30 years old. Armed with their smart phones and laptops, the new generation of Cambodian voters used social media to share information and on the polling day to report irregularities. Although Cambodia is still very much a rural country, Internet use, especially by young Cambodians, is steadily increasing. According to social media agency We Are Social, one new user joins Facebook every two minutes in Cambodia. This translates to almost 1,000 new members on a daily basis. …
Asian Correspondent.com
http://asiancorrespondent.com/111980/cambodia-election-proves-facebook-more-than-just-a-social-network/
