Cambodia’s political parties on July 7 kicked off a three-week campaign for the country’s general election slated for July 29 (Photo: VNA)PhnomPenh (VNA) - Cambodia’s political parties on July 7 kicked off athree-week campaign for the country’s general election slated for July 29.
According to the Phnom Penh City Hall, the ruling CambodianPeople's Party (CPP) held a rally at theKoh Pich (diamond) island exhibition centre in the capital of Phnom Penh withthe participation of more than 60,000 party members and supporters.
Otherparties such as the League for Democracy Party held a rally with about 15,000activists, while theFuncinpec Party organised a gathering with about 2,000 supporters.
Speakingat a meeting to launch the campaign, CPP President cum Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen called on party members and supportersto vote for the CPP, which won four consecutive elections from 1998.
He announced the CPP's political agenda for building anddefending the nation, vowing to protect the monarchy, and promoting themulti-party liberal democracy and respect for human rights, protecting the lawand social equality.
Meanwhile , others parties committed to promoting socio-economicdevelopment, developing human resources and creating jobs, pushing legal reformand public administration, and anti-corruption.
TheNational Election Committee (NEC) said 20 political parties will contest in theforthcoming election, which will see some 8.3 million people cast theirballots.
Inthe last election on July 28, 2013, eight political parties joined the race.The CPP won 68 seats against 55 seats for the now-dissolved Cambodia National RescueParty (CNRP) in the then 123-seat National Assembly.
TheCNRP was dissolved by the Supreme Court in November last year after its leaderKem Sokha was arrested and charged with "treason" for conspiring witha foreign power in an attempt to overthrow the government.
The election campaign will last until July 27, as theelection for the 125-seat National Assembly will be held on July 29.-VNA
