Hun Sen mulls laws to ensure only sole Cambodian citizens can contest polls
Son Chhay, vice president of the Candlelight Party, speaks to reporters outside the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Oct 7, 2022. The prominent Cambodian opposition politician, who also has Australian citizenship, was convicted of defamation for criticizing the country’s June local elections in which strongman Hun Sen’s party won a landslide victory. (Photo: AFP)
Authoritarian prime minister, Hun Sen, warned on Jan. 9 that he will initiate legal action against opposition politicians who attack his long-ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) as the country gears up for national elections in mid-July.
He said CPP lawyers had been tasked with monitoring politicians for potential legal action, including the emerging opposition Candlelight Party, which won about 22 percent of the popular vote in commune elections held in June last year.
“Do you want to become an enemy of the CPP? If you want to win the election, you can promote the political agendas of your party,” he said adding: “Why do you have to attack the CPP? I warn you that we will not let you accuse the CPP of being a thief [stealing the ballots].”
He said legal action could be taken against the Candlelight Party’s chief adviser Kong Korm.
“The issue of dual citizenship is interfering in Cambodia’s political affairs”
“Hun Sen dares to arrest the traitors at midnight. For the sake of maintaining peace, Hun Sen is afraid of nothing. I warn you that you can do everything, but not attack the CPP.”
The CPP has already sued Son Chhay, a vice president of the Candlelight Party for US$1 million after he criticized the results of the commune elections.
The court found he had “excessively exaggerated and accused the CPP and NEC of controlling the election process” but “did not provide any evidence that these statements were true.”
Hun Sen also said he would introduce laws to ensure that only politicians with single Cambodian citizenship stood for parliament. This would also apply to civil servants and people serving in the armed forces.
According to a dispatch from the semi-official Fresh News, the prime minister said, “the issue of dual citizenship is interfering in Cambodia’s political affairs, especially in restricting legal actions against those who violate the laws in the kingdom.”
If passed — and the CPP controls every seat in the National Assembly — then many opposition politicians including Son Chhay and those from the outlawed Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), would be prevented from standing.
Son Chhay is a dual Cambodian-Australian citizen and senior figures in the CNRP like Mu Sochua and Sam Rainsy also hold dual nationalities and live in the United States and France, respectively.
However, many are already barred from contesting the July election following convictions on charges ranging from incitement to treason and plotting to overthrow the government, registered in four mass trials staged over the last three years. A fifth trial is ongoing.
The Cambodian government initiated a crackdown through the courts after a 2019 attempt by Sam Rainsy to return from exile and stage a popular rebellion capable of ousting Hun Sen.
That attempt failed after the airlines refused to let him board.
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