JAKARTA, 24 July 2023 – At the invitation of H.E. Ouch Borith, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister and Standing Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, accompanied by staff of the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), participated in the observation mission of the Election of Members of the National Assembly for the 7th Legislature of the Kingdom of Cambodia, which was held on Sunday, July 23. The election was organized by the National Election Committee (NEC).
During the mission, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn and the accompanying ASEC staff observed key events in the electoral process, including the election campaigns, opening and closing of the polls, and voting in different polling stations, among others. On July 21, the last day of the election campaigns, the team observed campaigns by various political parties in the districts of Chamkar Morn, Meanchey and Sen Sok. Despite scattered rains, people who took part in the election campaigns showed their enthusiastic mood, and the political parties, which organized and paraded their election campaigns, indicated the extent of democratic spaces provided to all parties.
On election day, July 23, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn and his team observed the opening of the polls, casting of ballots and ballot counting in selected polling stations in Phnom Penh and Kandal province. In the observed polling stations, there were long queues of voters that demonstrated the will and active participation of the Cambodian people in the political and democratic process, especially in exercising their right and determination to choose their own leadership. Voting was generally peaceful, orderly, and without any violence.
For this 2023 multiparty election, a total of 18 eligible political parties contested 125 seats in the National Assembly – the lower house of the Cambodian Parliament. NEC reported 9.7 million registered voters for this election and, according to the preliminary results from the NEC, the voter turnout was high, amounting to 84.58% across 23,789 polling stations throughout the country.
Cambodia has been holding elections regularly since 1993, in accordance with its national election laws.
“We are very grateful for the opportunity to directly observe the ongoing democratic journey of modern-day Cambodia and pleased to congratulate NEC for its professionalism and competency as well as the people of Cambodia for their active and willing participation in the multiparty election,” SG Dr. Kao said about this election observation mission.
To maintain transparency of the election, ASEC is one of more than 65 countries and international organisations invited by Cambodia to observe this year’s general election. According to NEC, more than five hundred individuals from abroad were accredited as international election observers. In addition, NEC said there were 89,562 national observers from 134 associations and non-government organisations who also took part in the election observation.
This is the sixth election observation mission that ASEC had participated in, at the requests of the ASEAN Member States and a Dialogue Partner. ASEAN fully respects the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of its member states.
# # #
