Phnom Penh: Hun Sen, the prime minister of Cambodia, launched his party's election campaign on Saturday. The election, which will take place later this month but has been called a sham because the main opposition party was not allowed to run, has drawn criticism.
The 16 million-person Southeast Asian country has been ruled by a 70-year-old strongman for four decades. He addressed a crowd in Phnom Penh, the capital. He stood next to his son Hun Manet, who is also running for office and is widely expected to succeed him.
In addition to ensuring peace, socioeconomic advancement, and the strengthening of democracy, Hun Sen claimed that his Cambodian People's Party (CPP) had also made sure that rights and liberties were respected.
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However, he also issued a warning that any attempts to foment "social disorder" or uprising would be repelled. Only minor parties with little support or popularity, aside from the CPP, will run in the July 23 election.
Numerous members of the main opposition party were imprisoned after the party's dissolution in 2017 due to an alleged coup attempt. In May, a party made up of its remnants was disqualified due to an error in the paperwork.
Hun Sen also recently commanded the Cambodian parliament to amend the law to bar anyone from running in any future elections if they do not cast a ballot.
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Sam Rainsy, a well-known opposition leader, has called the election a fraud. The US has stated that it is "deeply troubled" by the "undemocratic actions" taking place in the lead up to the election and will not be sending official observers to a process that "many independent Cambodian and international experts assess is neither free nor fair."
Hun Sen left Facebook for Telegram this week. In response to a post in which Meta claimed that people who accused the CPP of buying votes in a prior election might be attacked by CPP supporters, Meta's oversight board recommended on Thursday that he be suspended for six months.
Due to the high number of fake accounts, data security risks, and lack of transparency, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications announced late Friday that they would deport a Meta representative and Cambodia would stop working with the company.
Regarding the Meta case, Hun Sen has remained silent. On Thursday, Phay Siphan, a government spokesman, denied knowledge of the incident and claimed that Telegram was chosen because it was more user-friendly and could reach a larger audience.
An official from Meta declined to comment. Political rivals have been imprisoned or exiled, critical media outlets have been shut down, and civil dissent has been suppressed during Hun Sen's rule, one of the longest premierships in history.
He has made hints in recent months that he will cede authority to Hun Manet, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and a West Point graduate.