Cambodians have begun voting in a one-sided general election in which the country’s strongman leader will run virtually uncontested.
It’s expected that Hun Sen, 70, who has ruled the country for almost four decades, will claim a landslide victory in Sunday’s vote. The country’s main opposition party, the Candlelight Party, was banned from running after it was accused of not providing the right paperwork.
The election is likely to be Hun Sen’s last, as he recently indicated that his eldest son and anointed successor Hun Manet could take over as soon as next month.
Hun Manet is expected to win a seat in the national assembly on Sunday, which would allow him to become prime minister.
The election and anticipated transition of power, has been preceded by a crackdown on critics of Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People’s Party. Opposition figures and activists have been arrested and beaten in the streets, in what right groups say are politically motivated attacks.
The government has denied that it is targeting its opponents.
Access to independent media has also been restricted. One of the country’s last remaining independent media outlets, Voice of Democracy, was shut down earlier this year, after Hun Sen accused it of attacking him and his son, and hurting the “dignity and reputation” of the government. Last month, the telecommunications regulator ordered internet service providers to block the websites of three other news outlets, saying their reporting could “make confusion, affect the government’s honour and prestige, and fail to fulfil the operating conditions of the Information Ministry.”
Montse Ferrer, Amnesty International’s deputy director for regional research, said human rights repression has “dramatically escalated in the years since the last national elections”.
The government has also sought to crack down on the practice of spoiling ballots or vote boycotts, considered by opponents as the only remaining avenue to protest. The election commission has warned that those who encourage others not to vote could face prison or a fine for incitement.
The law has also been changed so that anyone who does not vote in Sunday’s election will be barred from contesting any future elections.
Individuals have the legal right to choose not to vote, and people who are aware of this may decide to stay away from the polls, said Dr Maes Nee, a political commentator. But he added that others may feel cultural or social pressures to vote, adding that some employers will check if their staff voted: “After election day they have to show their finger [with] the ink,” he added.
Rong Chhun, the deputy president of the Candlelight party, told the Guardian last week that the space for freedom of expression and freedom of media in Cambodia was shrinking, and that his party was under huge pressure. Explaining why he continues in politics, despite the personal risks, he added: “We want the country to have a democratic society, rule of law, and respect for human rights. So we have to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of real democracy.”
About 9.7 million Cambodians are registered to vote on Sunday, where they will elect members of the 125-seat National Assembly. All of the seats are currently held by the ruling party.
Analysts say there is little indication that, when in office, Hun Manet’s approach to governance would differ from his father. On the campaign trail and social media, his speeches have been similar in style to those of Hun Sen.
Hun Manet graduated from the US military academy at West Point, and earned a master’s degree in economics from New York University and a PhD in economics from the University of Bristol.
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