3.5 mln young Cambodians registered to vote

PHNOM PENH, 12th July 2013 (The Cambodia Herald) -- Cambodia has seen an unprecedented amount of young voters who are registered to vote in the parliamentary election on July 28.

Around 3.5 million of the  9.5 million registered voters are between the ages of 18 and 30, and of those,  around 1.5 million are first-time voters, according to the National Election Committee.

Since the start of the election campaigns, many Cambodian's under the age of 30 have begun participating in the political process, holding rallies, volunteering and posting on social media such as Facebook.

By becoming more involved this can lead to positive social changes, according to observers.

There are also a high number of young adults who have volunteered as election monitors, indicating more of involvement in the election process.

Around 70 percent of the 10,000 election observers for the Committee for Free and Fair Elections are under 30.

Eight parties are competing in the general parliamentary election on July 28, 2013.

The parties include the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) led by exiled Sam Rainsy,  the Funcinpec Party led by Princess Norodom Arun Rasmey, the League for Democracy Party led by Khem Veasna, the Cambodian Nationality party led by Seng Sokheng, the Democratic Republic Party led by Sokroth Sovan Panhchakseila, Khmer Anti-Poverty led by Daran Kravanh, and Khmer Economic Development Party led by Huon Reach Chamroeun.

 The ruling party will seek support from the voters by voicing their achievements over the last-five years, including economic growth, remarkable poverty reduction, better infrastructure and political stability.

 However, the opposition CNRP is expected to attack the ruling party by raising the issues of poor education, illegal immigration, corruption, low salaries of the workers and government officials and land disputes.

In the 2008 election, The CPP won up to 90 seats, while the opposition totally won 29 seats and the royalist group won four seats.

Political analysts predict that Hun Sen's party will secure a landslide victory in the upcoming polls.

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