Cambodians vote despite Khmer Rouge

Wednesday, June 2, 1993 - 10:00

By Nick Johnson

PHNOM PENH — Against all expectations, in a country braced for terrorist acts, the May 23-28 election has succeeded. By day three of the poll, a staggering 85% of the electorate had voted. In Battambang, the most militarised front-line province, a 97% turnout was recorded.

Violence had been feared from the brutal Khmer Rouge, which threatened to stop the elections. United Nations dependents were evacuated, and all agencies withdrew personnel from the provinces into the capital.

The campaign was essentially a contest between the Cambodian People's Party, representing the regime which has governed since 1979, and the royalist FUNCINPEC, founded by Prince Norodom Sihanouk.

The CPP presented itself mainly as the party that saved Cambodia from the murderous 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime, while FUNCINPEC promised to return Cambodia to Sihanouk, father of party leader Prince Ranariddh.

The 18 other contesting parties varied in strength and credibility. Many were founded by overseas Khmer (mainly from the USA).

Chief among the minor parties is the Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party led by Son Sann, formed after a split in the Khmer People's National Liberation Front, one of the signatories of the Paris peace agreement.

On the opening day of the elections, the UN released its report on political violence during the previous 10 weeks. Of 200 reported murders, 135 were attributed to the Khmer Rouge. Fifteen were blamed on the CPP. The others were not yet attributable.

Very few journalists noted the report's assessment that there is no system of law and order in the FUNCINPEC or KR zones.

AsiaWatch states that these zones "were plagued by lawlessness and violence, with military strong men dispensing justice with weapons ... summary

execution of suspected criminals was frequent ... in [the regional centre of] Ampil, a FUNCINPEC controlled enclave, ... [residents] said they were told by their village headman that they had to join FUNCINPEC, otherwise they might by killed by bandits."