© Reuters. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) chairman attend a campaign campaign for the upcoming national elections in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, July 1, 2023. REUTERS/Cindy Liu
2/8
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Saturday kicked off his ruling party’s campaign for an election later this month, a referendum slammed as rigged after the main opposition party was barred from running.
The 70-year-old strongman, who has ruled the Southeast Asian country of 16 million people for four decades, spoke to a crowd in the capital, Phnom Penh. He stood next to his son Hon Manet, also a candidate in the polls, and was widely behind him.
Hun Sen said the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) he heads ensured peace, social and economic development and the promotion of democracy, adding that rights and freedoms were being respected.
But he also warned against putting down any attempts to incite “social chaos” or rebellion.
Other than the CPP, only small parties with little funding or popularity will contest the July 23 elections.
The main opposition party was dissolved in 2017 over an alleged coup attempt, and dozens of its members were jailed. A party formed from its remains was banned in May due to a discrepancy in papers.
Hun Sen also recently ordered Cambodia’s Parliament to revise the law so that anyone who does not vote will be barred from contesting any future elections.
Sam Rainsy, a prominent opposition figure, called the election a sham. The United States said it was “deeply disturbed” by the “undemocratic actions” ahead of the election and would not send official observers to an election process that “is considered by many independent Cambodian and international experts to be neither free nor fair”.
This week, Hun Sen left Facebook (NASDAQ) for Telegram. The Metta Supervisory Board said on Thursday that he should be suspended for six months over a post in which he said people who accused the CPP of buying votes in previous elections could be beaten by CPP supporters.
The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications said late Friday that it was deporting the Meta representative and that Cambodia would cease all cooperation with the company, attributing the move to a glut of fake accounts, data risks, and a lack of transparency.
Hun Sen did not comment on the Mita issue. Government spokesman Faye Sivan on Thursday denied knowledge of the case and said the switch to Telegram was made because it was easier to use and could reach more people.
A Meta representative declined to comment.
During Hun Sen’s reign – one of the world’s longest premierships – political opponents were imprisoned or exiled, critical media were shut down and civil dissent was crushed.
In recent months, he has hinted that he will hand over power to Hun Maneh, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point.