Yesterday, Cambodia’s Constitutional Council confirmed that the country’s largest opposition party will not be able to participate in national elections in July, all but ensuring another clean sweep by Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).
Im Chhun Lim, the president of the Constitutional Council, announced that the Candlelight Party (CLP) failed to provide its original certificate of registration as a political party, according to a report by CamboJA News.
“The Constitutional Council decided to accept [Candlelight’s] appeal… but it was denied as illegitimate and contrary to the law,” said Im Chhun Lim, who, as CamboJA points out, is also a member of the Central Committee of the CPP. “This is a final decision and there can be no further complaint.”