Cambodia’s Ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) Wins all Seats in General Elections

Phnom Penh: The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has won all 125 seats in the Cambodia general elections, the poll body has said. The opposition was declared illegal and banned from participating in the July 29 exercise. The Electoral Commission announced the official results late on Wednesday that showed that all seats in the National Assembly went to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s party, which received 76.78 percent of the votes, Efe news reported.

The other 19 candidates secured not more than six percent of the votes nor managed to secure a seat in Parliament. The former opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) will not be in the new National Assembly either, as it was banned ahead of the polls by the Supreme Court. It had managed to snatch 44 percent of the votes in the 2013 general elections.

The CNRP called to boycott elections after the judicial persecutions in 2017 that led to the imprisonment of its leader and prompted around 100 members of the party to go into exile the finally led to its dissolution. Several countries, including the US and various members of the European Union, questioned the legitimacy of the Cambodian elections. The US State Department on Wednesday expanded its visa restrictions on Cambodia following the poll results. (IANS)