Cambodia’s former opposition leader Sam Rainsy calls for election boycott if his dissolved party remains excluded
The ban on the CNRP prompted some Western countries to condemn the crackdown, cut aid, and impose visa bans on some ruling party members
Cambodia’s former opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, called on Sunday for Cambodians to boycott a general election set for July 29 if his dissolved party isn’t allowed to take part.
The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved by the Supreme Court last November at the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government, which alleged it was plotting to take power with the help of the United States.
The CNRP and the United States have denied the allegations, which followed the arrest of current party leader Kem Sokha on treason charges over the alleged plot. He has denied the charges and called them a ploy to help Hun Sen win re-election.
“I call on all my Cambodian fellow compatriots who believe in democracy to boycott the 29 July 2018 elections if the CNRP is not allowed to participate,” Sam Rainsy said in a tweet on Sunday.
The party had not previously called for a boycott and it was not immediately clear if Sam Rainsy was speaking on behalf of the party.
He resigned as president of the CNRP in 2017 but has for decades been a vocal critic of Hun Sen. He has lived in France since 2015 to avoid a series of convictions he says are politically motivated.