WEB DESK
Cambodia’s ruling party is reported to be wining the Sunday’s general election with huge majority. The Cambodian People’s Party, led by long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen, and 19 other parties contested the election. Votes began to be counted immediately after polls across the country were closed on Sunday afternoon.
With votes still being tallied, a spokesperson for the Cambodian People’s Party told japanese TV NHK that its own calculations show it has gained at least 100 National Assembly seats so far, or 80 percent of the total.
The country’s election commission says its interim vote-counting shows the ruling party to have gained at least 70 percent of votes in most provinces.
Tallies for other parties are still unknown. But Hun Sen’s 33 years in power look set to be extended.
The largest opposition group, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, was unable to take part in the election. It had fought a close battle against the ruling party in the previous race.
Its leader was arrested last year on suspicion of treason, and Supreme Court ordered the party to disband.
It had been calling on supporters to boycott the election.
The Hun Sen administration is expected to defend the legitimacy of the election by pointing to a voter turnout of 82.17 percent, a sharp rise from the previous election.