Monitors Give Vote a Mixed Review

A group of independent monitors gave cautious approval to local Cambodian elections, describing this week’s voting and counting as acceptable but denouncing intimidation, vote buying and other abuses.

The Asian Network for Free and Fair Elections praised the violence-free vote but said intimidation, political violence during the campaign, a flawed voter registration and a biased media damaged the process.

The opposition has complained of vote fraud and cheating by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party, which won Sunday’s election by a landslide.