2013 Cambodian General Election Sunday July 28, 2013

The Cambodian General Elections were held on Sunday July 28,2013 and 9.67 million Cambodians will be eligible to cast their ballots to elect the 123-Member National Assembly

Polling precincts opened 7:00 AM and closed at 3:00 PM

The general election was Cambodia's 5th since 1993, when the United Nations helped stage the country's first free polls since the 1975-79 genocidal rule of the Khmer Rouge and a subsequent period of civil war and one-party rule

Incumbent Prime Minister Hun Sen is eligible to seek a 4th term.Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, center, casts his ballot at a polling station in Takhmau town, south of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, July 28, 2013

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (R) and his wife Bun Rany (L) walk after casting their votes 

Hun Sen(60) has been in power for 28 years and says he has no intention of stepping down soon. His authoritarian rule has given him a stranglehold over the state bureaucracy and has a reputation as a tough and wily survivor, starting with his defection from the Khmer Rouge to Vietnam, which after invading to oust the radical regime installed him first as foreign minister and later as prime minister.

The Sam Rainsy Party and Human Rights Party merged in 2012 to form the Cambodian National Rescue Party. Sam Rainsy, the President of the CNRP,was barred from running as a candidate due to a previous conviction

Sam Rainsy(leader of Cambodia National Rescue Party)as a member of a royalist party served as finance minister in the government elected in 1993, but was kicked out from his party and his post for his outspoken anti-corruption stand

Sam Rainsy(64)was not allowed to run as a candidate or even vote in the election, because he missed the registration deadlines as he stayed abroad for almost four years to avoid a jail term for convictions that he said were politically motivated. He returned July 19 only after receiving a royal pardon at the behest of Hun Sen, his longtime and bitter rival

2013 Cambodian General Election Results

Cambodian People's Party claimed victory in Sunday's polls though its 90-seat majority in the National Assembly shrunk to 68 seats. Provisional results showed the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party took the remaining 55 seats, a major boost from the combined opposition total of 29 in the last parliament

Cambodia's opposition party said it would challenge the results of a general election in which it made impressive gains even though the ruling party of Prime Minister Hun Sen retained power. 

Sam Rainsy's wife, Tioulong Saumura, a candidate in Phnom Penh, said she did not accept the ruling party's figures. Asked if she thought the CNRP won more than 55 seats, she replied: "Of course. Almost everywhere we lead. No way we have 55 and they have 68."
 

Party	No of Votes	Vote %	No of Seats
Cambodia People's Party	2555030	49.36	67
Cambodia National Rescue Party(CNRP)	2295022	44.34	56
FUNCINPEC	171906	3.30	00
Others	154561	2.96	00
Total	5176519		123

 

Cambodian Opposition CNRP boycotts parliament Monday Sep 23,2013

Opposition lawmakers boycotted the opening of Cambodia’s parliament on Monday Sep 23,2013 to protest what they allege was widespread cheating in July 28,2013 election

The 55 National Assembly seats belonging to lawmakers elected from the opposition were empty, while 68 lawmakers from Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling party were in attendance.

The opposition says it was cheated out of a victory because of electoral fraud. It had vowed for weeks to boycott parliament unless the government agreed to an independent probe of the July 28,2013 election results

“We don’t accept the election results from the NEC (National Election Commission) because there are too many irregularities,” Mr. Rainsy told a press conference.

“We call for the establishment of a committee, with both (political) parties and (international) NGOs,” Cambodian Opposition CNRP leader Sam Rainsy said.

However,the Govt.has rejected the demand

Hun Sen renamed Cambodia PM Tuesday Sep 24,2013

 

Ruling party lawmakers in Cambodia officially extended Hun Sen’s rule for another five years on Tuesday Sep 24,2013 renaming the longtime strongman prime minister of the Southeast Asian nation in a parliamentary vote boycotted by the opposition.

The vote was considered a formality, and Hun Sen who has ruled virtually unchallenged for nearly three decades will take the oath of office in front of King Norodom Sihamoni at the Royal Palace later in the day.

The opposition stayed away from parliament’s opening session Monday and boycotted the legislature again on Tuesday

Note
Hun Sen was 33 years when he took power in 1985 and has vowed to rule Cambodia until he is 74 years old despite protests


2008 General Election Results
Cambodia People's Party(CPP)  secured an absolute majority of the seats  by winning 90 out of 123 seats
Despite winning a parliamentary majority, the CPP chose to form a coalition with the Royalist FUNCINPEC
which won 2 seats
The Opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party(an alliance of Sam Rainsy Party and Human Rights Party) won 29 seats