Voters in Cambodia cast their ballots today, Sunday, in elections lacking balance, where the ruling party has dominated the political landscape, paving the way for a historic transfer of leadership and marking the end of one of the longest-serving prime ministers in the world. Activists reject these elections, considering them a farce, as the National Election Committee reported by noon (05:00 GMT) that "6.2 million voters have voted out of 9.7 million eligible voters."
The ruling Cambodian People's Party, led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, has controlled the country without any real opposition after years of a continued crackdown on rivals and dissenting voices. Sen, who was part of the Khmer Rouge, has governed Cambodia for 38 years and downplays Western concerns about the integrity of the elections. He is also determined to remove any obstacles to the transfer of power to his eldest son, Hun Manith.
Hun Manith (45) stopped to take pictures while smiling with his supporters after casting his vote today in the capital, Phnom Penh. However, he refrained from answering media questions regarding his potential rise to the prime ministership and whether he intends to pursue a different approach to governance than his father, stating, "No comment please, no comment. I came just to cast my vote."
