PHNOM PENH, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen have called for the people to vote in the forthcoming national election, saying that it is the only chance to elect their leaders in every five years. The Southeast Asian nation is scheduled to hold a national election for the 125-seat National Assembly on July 29, 2018.
"On this occasion, I would like to solemnly call for all eligible voters to cast their ballots in order to elect national leaders for development and glorious progress in all fields," Sihamoni said in a royal message released to the media late Tuesday.
The monarch said the forthcoming election is a free, fair, and confidential election that goes with the liberal multi-party democracy, so the voters should not worry about any pressure or intimidation from anyone or any political party.
"I urge all the compatriots to exercise your rights to vote in according to your own conscience and to freely elect any candidate, any political party that you trust," he said.
During a get-together with some 22,000 garment factory workers in southeastern Kampong Cham province on Wednesday, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen also appealed to the people to vote and urged them to vote for the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP).
"To protect peace and development, it is easy: vote for the Cambodian People's Party so that I will continue to lead (the nation) in the capacity of the prime minister," he said.
Twenty political parties will contest in the forthcoming election, which will see some 8.3 million people cast their ballots, according to the National Election Committee (NEC).
The three-week election campaign will start from July 7 to 27.
In the last election on July 28, 2013, eight political parties joined the race. As a result, the CPP won 68 seats against 55 seats for the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in the then-123-seat National Assembly.
The CNRP was dissolved by the Supreme Court in November last year after its leader Kem Sokha was arrested in September last year and charged with treason for conspiring with a foreign power in an attempt to overthrow the government.
