'Democracy For Cambodia Is At Stake' As Country Heads Into Elections
Other than the campaign posters plastered across Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh, there's little sign that general elections are coming up this Sunday, July 29. Traffic hums along as usual. And save for the occasional car spouting ruling party propaganda through a bullhorn, there's no canvassing or active campaigning in the streets and scant open talk about the vote.
"Recently, people are keeping quiet," says May Titthara, executive editor of the Khmer Times newspaper.
This is in stark contrast with what happened during last year's election campaign season, when opposition rallies drew crowds across the country. These days, the only political party drawing big crowds is the Cambodian People's Party, the longtime ruling party.
That's because this time, there's no by the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in last year's local elections, Hun Sen launched a brutal crackdown on dissidents, the media and rights organizations that he accused of trying to overthrow the government. By the end of 2017, the main opposition party had been .
