This weekend Cambodia held commune elections as it does every five years. In 2017, the major opposition party gained significant ground in the commune elections and was then dissolved by the Cambodian supreme court. While there are, currently, registered 17 political parties there is no effective opposition and many popular opposition politicians have gone into exile, been barred from politics, or joined the ruling party. We were concerned that this year’s elections might be tense given the context but, instead, this year the mood has been festive.

Last week, the Ministry of Labor instructed all legal entities in Cambodia to give all staff paid time off the Saturday before and Monday after the elections. On Friday, rallies for the ruling party were held throughout the country. The mood was that of celebration. The surprise two-day holiday around election no doubt added to the elation but I think it was grounded in the popularity, even among opposition voters, of the ruling party’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The results of the commune election will be released at the end of the month. Voter turnout was around 70% this election, down from over 90% in the previous commune election. Next year will be national elections and there’s worrisome speculation that as the Prime Minister positions his son as his political heir that, with the opposition dissolved, there may be intraparty conflict.