Top Cambodian opposition party loses appeal over registration, barred from contesting July elections

By SOPHENG CHEANG
Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia’s top opposition party has been barred from participating in elections set for July after the Constitutional Council refused to overturn a decision not to register the party over a paperwork issue. The council said in a brief statement Thursday that the Candlelight Party, the sole credible challenger to the governing Cambodian People’s Party in the polls, lost its appeal because its complaint was deemed unlawful. The decision is final and cannot be appealed. Cambodian courts are widely considered to be under the influence of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government and his Cambodian People’s Party. With the Candlelight Party out, the sole competition for the governing party will be groups aligned with it, or small, obscure parties without a national presence.