Cambodia Election: Voter Turnout at Highest Since 2018

Voter Saroeun Sopor (43 years old) performs voting procedures according to regulations at polling station No. 2080, Chea Sim Chroy Changvar High School, Chroy Changvar district, Phnom Penh capital on the morning of July 23, 2023.

On July 23, more than 8.2 million Cambodian voters went to the polls to elect members of the 7th National Assembly , accounting for 84.58% of the total 9,710,655 voters.

The above information was confirmed by Mr. Prach Chan, Chairman of the National Election Committee of Cambodia (NEC), at a press conference on the same evening on the organization of the election of deputies to the 7th National Assembly in 2023.

According to the provisional data just released, the recent National Assembly election recorded a higher voter turnout than the two most recent elections in Cambodia.

The 6th National Assembly election in 2018 recorded more than 83% of voters participating in the election, while the fifth Commune and Ward Council election in 2022 recorded 80.32% of voters going to the polls.

Assessing the election organization, Mr. Prach Chan said that thanks to the good coordination between the election security mechanisms and systems at all levels with the NEC and election organizing agencies at all levels, the election process took place successfully, in a peaceful, secure, peaceful and public order-ensuring atmosphere, with no recorded acts of violence and intimidation.

According to the head of NEC, immediately after the voting ended at 3:00 p.m. on July 23, the polling stations were converted to vote counting.

The preliminary results of the election were announced live from 7pm on July 23 on the Cambodian National Television channel. In addition, the preliminary results were also announced on the media and communication platforms of the National Radio of Cambodia, the Cambodia News Agency and the NEC.

“According to the election schedule, the official election results will be announced between August 9 and September 4, in the event that there is no re-election and depending on whether there are any complaints,” Mr Prach Chan said.

According to the NEC Chairman, this Cambodian National Assembly election attracted more than 90,000 observers to monitor and supervise the election process. Of these, there were more than 89,500 observers from 135 domestic organizations and 586 international observers from 52 countries and international organizations.

In addition, 8/18 participating parties registered as observers and the Election Committees of communes and wards allowed more than 57,000 observers of these political parties to participate in monitoring and supervising the election process.

In addition, nearly 1,300 reporters from 185 press and media agencies registered to work and report on this election. Among them, there are 137 reporters from 38 international press and media agencies.

Of the 18 political parties running in the election for the 7th National Assembly in Cambodia this time - since the first election in 1993 - 17 are competing with the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), which is ranked 18th in the list of political parties running in the election, in order of voting.

This National Assembly election took place in the context of a stable political situation in Cambodia.

With the advantage of an overwhelming victory in the previous election, holding all 125 seats in the National Assembly, leading the country to many achievements during the current government's term and a favorable political context, the CPP of Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen is expected to continue to receive support from voters./.

According to VNA

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