Cambodian PM warns against violence in upcoming major elections

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen warned Wednesday that a security measure will be taken if the opposition party activists cause violence during the commune election next month and the national election next year.

Speaking at an event commemorating the 10th National Veteran Day here, the prime minister said that he will order the armed forces to crack down on them immediately if they incite violence during the upcoming elections.

"If it (crackdown) breaks out into war, let it happen," he said. "We will not allow (them) to burn down cars and destroy public order again."

His warning came following experience in the national election in July 2013 when opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) activists set police cars on fire and prevented some voters, whom they accused of being Vietnamese, from casting their ballots. Moreover, the CNRP staged mass protests for months against the election results at that time.

The Southeast Asian country is gearing up for two major elections, namely the commune election on June 4, 2017 and the national election on July 29, 2018.

In the last commune election in June 2012, the prime minister's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) swept 1,592 of the country' s 1,633 commune chief seats, followed by the opposition party with 40 seats and the royalist Funcinpec Party with one seat.

While in the national election in July 2013, the CPP won 68 parliamentary seats against 55 seats for the CNRP in the 123-seat National Assembly. Endit