It can be said that Cambodia’s fifth general election has achieved success after the National Election Committee announced the poll’s preliminary results on August 12.

Accordingly, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) led with a total of 3,236,009 votes, followed by the main opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) with 2,945,676 votes, with the remaining going to the six other parties.

Analysts said that with the largest number of votes, the CPP would gain more than half the seats in the parliament and will continue its ruling.

The NEC’s announcement came as no surprise. After the July 28 election, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, many heads of state and government leaders worldwide, including Vietnam’s Party and State leaders, sent their messages of congratulations to Cambodia and expressed their belief that on the basis of the election’s outcome, the new National Assembly in the country would convene soon and a new Government will be formed early to stabilise and develop the country, in the interests of the Cambodian people while contributing to peace and stability in the region and the world at large.

One day after the election, the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) and the Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International (CAPDI) said that the election in Cambodia took place in a free, fair, accurate, transparent and non-violent manner.

Earlier, observers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) also expressed satisfaction about the election process at a press briefing on late July 28.

However, the CNRP has rejected the election’s preliminary results.

Public opinions are concerned that the opposition CNRP is taking some moves that go beyond the limit of the law, such as calling for demonstrations and boycott of the opening ceremony of the new National Assembly.

The CNRP has also refused to take part in the NEC’s joint working group to review their own petitions.
Not stopping there, the CNRP has used political tricks imbued with extreme nationalism, causing dangerous repercussions for the development of Cambodia itself and negative effect on the regional solidarity.

Specifically, Sam Rainsy, the CNRP leader, has made provocative statements that distort history and cause harm to the Vietnam-Cambodia relationship.

Besides his slanderous allegation that Vietnam transgressed Cambodia’s territory, Sam Rainsy blatantly said in an interview granted to the Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television which was later quoted by BBC on August 4 that “ All islands that China is protecting belong to China ”.

His groundless statements ran counter to the foreign policy that looks toward peace and stability pursued by Southeast Asian diplomats.

The undeniable truth here is that Vietnam has sufficient legal ground and historical evidence to prove its undisputable sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.

Vietnam has consistently pursued the policy of resolving East Sea disputes through peaceful means on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

This is not the first time Sam Rainy has made remarks that disregard both international law and history.

Earlier, Sam Rainsy was sentenced to 10 years in prison in his absence for spreading misleading information and vandalising public properties after he uprooted six temporary boundary markers at the Vietnam-Cambodia border line in 2009. He has just returned to Cambodia after King Norodom Sihamoni granted him amnesty at the proposal of Prime Minister Hun Sen. Sam Rainsy’s groundless statement did harm to the Vietnam-Cambodia friendship which has been nurtured for years as a valuable asset of the two nations.

Vietnam has helped the Cambodian people to escape from genocide, overthrow the genocidal Pol Pot regime and revive the country. CNRP’s rhetoric questioning Vietnam’s contribution to the struggle against the Pol Pot regime cannot change this historical truth.

Rainsy’s statements which are full of political calculations and take advantage of the election to incite Cambodian people, in any circumstances, are not true, thus surely courting defeat.

PM Hun Sen has affirmed that right at the most dangerous moment for Cambodia, it is Vietnam that spared no sacrifice to come to Cambodian people’s aid. The Cambodian people are very grateful for this.

The Party, State and people of Vietnam always hope that the friendly neighbourliness and long-lasting comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia will continue developing under the motto of "good neighbours, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-lasting stability" between the two countries.

A Cambodia of stability and prosperity will benefit Cambodia people as well as regional peace. As PM Hun Sen has said, the country needs to unite and the people need to reach consensus for national stability and continued development.-VNA