1-8-2023 (PHNOM PENH) The Cambodian election commission revealed on Tuesday (Aug 1) that almost half a million ballots were spoiled in the national election held last month, leading to critics dubbing it a sham due to the exclusion of all opposition parties from participating.
After a nearly 40-year rule, Prime Minister Hun Sen is set to hand over power to his son later this month, following an easy victory for the ruling Cambodian People Party (CPP) in the July 23 election.
According to the National Election Committee (NEC), the CPP secured 80 percent of the total 8.2 million votes cast, marking the first official announcement of the election results.
However, the NEC also reported that approximately 440,000 ballots, accounting for one in every 18 votes, were invalidated. Despite this, the election saw a high turnout of 85 percent.
NEC official Dim Sovannarom mentioned that the number of spoiled ballots was lower than in the 2018 election when state institutions had previously disbanded an earlier pro-democracy opposition party known as the Candlelight party.
Leading up to the election, authorities had imposed severe penalties on voters if they spoiled their ballots, boycotted the election, or encouraged others to do so.
Opposition figures and rights groups have long accused Hun Sen of suppressing democratic institutions and cracking down on opponents and critics. However, the government has consistently denied these allegations.
