PHNOM PENH: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered an election law be amended to penalise anyone who boycotts next month's poll, which critics have said will be a sham because of the premier's moves to stamp out all opposition.
The revision is likely to be approved in the coming days by the rubber-stamp parliament and would bar those who do not cast votes from becoming candidates in future elections, the latest move by the long-serving leader to stifle dissent.
His ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) will run virtually unopposed next month, after the election commission disqualified the sole opposition Candlelight Party from running, citing improper paperwork.
"Those who wish to stand for election must be responsible as good citizens of the nation in a democratic society, starting from the consistent exercise of the right to vote," Hun Sen, 70, said in a voice message posted on his social media accounts late on Monday.
Hun Sen, who has been in charge for 36 years, did not elaborate on why the law was being revised or whether any groups had threatened a boycott.
Cambodia's election commission last week said anyone urging people not to vote would be fined or imprisoned.
There have been no overt calls for an election boycott.
Human rights groups have expressed alarm over what they see as a campaign of intimidation and public threats by Hun Sen and the CPP ahead of an election they are certain to dominate.
His administration has denied targeting opponents and says it is enforcing the law.
Supporters of the opposition party, Candlelight Party, wave flags as they take part in a campaign rally for the upcoming local elections on June 5, 2023, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (Reuters photo)
