Cambodia's historic local elections have drawn mixed reviews from independent monitoring groups.

The groups, both local and international, are calling Sunday's election a positive step for Cambodia's transition to democracy. But they say the polls did not meet international standards, because of pre-ballot killings, intimidation, vote-buying and other abuses.

Unofficial results indicate Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party will retain control over most of the more than 16-hundred communes, or clusters of villages.

The opposition Sam Rainsy Party and the royalist Funcinpec Party have filed a series of complaints against the ruling party. They allege widespread irregularities in the election.

In Bangkok, the independent Asian Network for Free Elections said that although the election itself had a positive atmosphere, the pre-election violence and deaths are of serious concern. And a European Union observer in Phnom Penh (Carlos Costa Neves) said the election campaign did not offer all parties an equal opportunity.

At least 20 opposition candidates and campaign workers were killed during the campaign.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has denied that the ruling party was behind any of the pre-election violence.

Sunday's elections were the first of their kind in Cambodia for three decades.

(ap,reuters,dpa,voa cr,afp,prev)

Email this article to a friend
Printer Friendly Version