Cambodia: Turmoil as opposition rejects election results

A fresh political crisis is looming after the main opposition party said it would not accept the results of last month’s election until there was an independent investigation into alleged irregularities.

After the country’s election commission issued updated results from the poll, the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) threatened to launch street protests unless an inquiry was announced. The Prime Minister of 28 years, Hun Sen, has deployed troops and tanks in Phnom Penh and other towns in an apparent attempt to intimidate his opponents.

When provisional results were announced following the 28 July election, it was suggested Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has secured around 3.2 million of the total votes cast, compared with 2.9 million for the CNRP.

Monday’s results were along very similar lines in terms of vote share, though the opposition party saw the number of seats it would probably secure in the parliament increase to 55 from 39. The ruling CPP is expected to occupy 68 seats. But despite the increase in the number of its seats, the opposition continued to refuse to accept the results, repeating its claim the polls had been skewed by a series of irregularities.