The EU denounces the lack of opposition in the elections in Cambodia

BRUSSELS, 24 Jul. () –

The European Union has denounced this Monday the lack of opposition and independent media in the elections in Cambodia, in which the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Sen, revalidated the position, thus extending his uninterrupted mandate since 1997 although he came to power for the first time in 1985.

Specifically, European diplomacy has indicated that the elections took place in a context of “restricted” political and civic space, in which the opposition, civil society and the media “could not function properly and without obstacles”.

“We regret that these elections have excluded important sectors of the opposition, due to the criminal convictions of political leaders and the disqualification of the main opposition party, which was not allowed to register to participate in the vote,” the statement said.

In this sense, the EU expresses its “concern” about the amendments to the electoral law adopted a few weeks before the vote, which have caused a reduction in freedom of expression and the right to passive suffrage.

In this sense, the bloc denounces the situation that members of the opposition are going through and calls for their release and reminds Cambodia of the importance of having “inclusive, transparent and credible” elections, something that it sees as the “backbone” of any democratic society, insisting that it must respect the fundamental rights of the Cambodian people, its Constitution and the international standards to which Cambodia has subscribed.