NEARLY three weeks after Cambodia’s general election, which both the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and the opposition claim to have won, life in Phnom Penh remains tense. Tanks have been deployed, although only on the outskirts, and queues have formed at banks and supermarkets as rumours of hoarding become self-fulfilling. Meanwhile, the National Election Committee remains coy about releasing the final results of the poll. It claims that holding off will reduce the risk of violence from protests called by the opposition. This is a solid margin, helped by blatant gerrymandering of districts. But it is a sharply reduced majority for Mr Hun Sen. Compared with last time round, in 2008, the CPP lost hundreds of thousands of votes and over a quarter of its seats. The CNRP alleges that the real setback was far worse, and that the election was grossly rigged in favour of the governing party. Mr Sam Rainsy hotly contests the result.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 04:39:25 +0000
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