Ruling party seems set to win Cambodian local elections

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Early indications show Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling party headed for victory in local elections as people voted in large numbers for the first time since a 2018 vote that was widely criticized as unfair. Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party was virtually certain to capture the lion’s share of council seats in over 1,600 communes. The party has held an iron grip on power for decades and has the huge advantage of controlling almost every local government. Its opponents are less organized, with much fewer resources and have complained of intimidation and threats. The election committee says turnout was more than 77% out of 9.2 million registered voters. Hun Sen, an authoritarian ruler in a nominally democratic state, has held power for 37 years.