Summary:
- The upcoming Cambodian election is expected to extend the ruling Cambodian People's Party's almost four-decade-long hold on power.
- A major opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, is absent from the poll after facing dissolution and crackdown in previous elections.
- The ruling CPP has maintained support in rural areas by showcasing its achievements in peace, stability, and development, while facing criticism for disregarding international concerns.
- Hun Sen's eldest son, Hun Manit, is set to make his debut in the election, raising interest in his potential leadership and its impact on Cambodia's future and international relations.
Elephants trudged through the jungles of eastern Cambodia at the weekend, delivering ballot boxes ahead of an election on Sunday. But the country is also almost certainly lumbering towards a foregone conclusion. That is an extension of the ruling Cambodian People's Party's nearly four decades in power. Aside from Prime Minister Hun Sen's CPP, 17 parties are competing. But most are obscure and none have the clout to challenge the ruling party. The CPP won all 125 seats in the National Assembly at the last election in 2018. A repeat of that is expected.
Notably absent from the poll is a major opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). The CPP encountered the biggest challenge to its rule in the 2013 election when it won less than half the votes, closely followed by the newly formed CNRP. Nine months before the 2018 election, CNRP was dissolved for an alleged plot to overthrow Hun Sen's government, leading to the conviction of hundreds of opposition figures in mass trials. From CNRP's ashes rose the Candlelight Party, but it has faced intimidation and harassment, and it was disqualified from this election on a technicality. The party spokesperson, Kim So-Pirate, questions the fairness of the election without their participation.
Despite criticisms and lack of a major opposition party, the CPP has maintained support in rural areas by touting its record in maintaining peace, political stability, and societal development. The party's biggest selling point remains the transformation Cambodia has seen under Hun Sen's leadership, achieving middle-income status, improvements in health, education, infrastructure, and a booming textile sector. However, international concerns have been raised over Hun Sen's crackdown on dissent, and the upcoming debut of his eldest son, Hun Manit, in the election raises questions about the future direction of Cambodia's leadership and its relationship with the West.