Opposition Candlelight Party leadership raised the alarm in early May that the National Election Committee had asked them to submit an original registration document for the first time — a document that the party did not have after the raid of the former Cambodian National Rescue Party headquarters. On May 15, the NEC officially said the party couldn’t register; ten days later, the Constitutional Council upheld the decision.
As expected, a handful of foreign embassies and international bodies weighed in. Their statements struck a similar chord: The U.S. State Department said it was “deeply troubled.” The Australian ambassador said he was “deeply concerned.” Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “closely watches with concern” the upcoming election.
Perhaps the strongest verb was “deplores,” from the French Embassy. The German Foreign Office said the decision should be reversed, while the Delegation of the European Union said it “strongly objects” to the decision.
Generally, however, statements tended to focus on the idea of Cambodia as an existing or aspirational multiparty democracy, rather than a country ruled by a prime minister who has twice incapacitated his main opposition and has held power longer than any other head of state in the entire world. “Cambodian democracy is not served by this development.” “This development is a troubling signal that undermines the democratic nature of the vote.” “The Government of Japan will continue to support democratic development of Cambodia.”
The U.S. State Department, for its part, called the actions “undemocratic” and said they went against Cambodia’s “international commitments to develop as a multiparty democracy.”
More than a month later on June 16, the U.N. Human Rights chief Volker Türk weighed in, urging Cambodian officials to “change course” in order to enable a “vibrant civil society” and “respect for human rights” ahead of the election. He did not use the word democracy.
Click here to explore our ongoing database of election statements and information.