The National Election Committee released the official result of this month’s council elections, with the ruling Cambodian People’s Party winning leadership in all councils across the country.
The fractious royalist parties of Norodom Ranariddh and Funcinpec won seats, along with members of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party.
The country’s 11,353 commune council members from the CPP and the Sam Rainsy, Norodom Ranariddh and Funcinpec parties voted for 3,235 council members at the municipal, provincial and district levels on May 17.
The CPP won 302 of 374 seats for Phnom Penh and the provinces, as well as 2,249 or 2,861 seats in other municipalities and districts, the NEC said Wednesday. The Sam Rainsy Party won 61 seats in Phnom Penh and the provinces, followed by Funcinpec with six and the Norodom Ranariddh Party with five.In other municipalities and districts, the Sam Rainsy Party won 518 seats, followed by 55 for Funcinpec and 39 for the Norodom Ranariddh Party.
Sam Rainsy Party Yim Sovann said the elections were tainted by vote-buying from the ruling party, a charge the CPP denies.
Hang Puthea, executive director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said the results were as expected.