A Mahathir-like figure, a car crash, and Cambodia’s ‘election’
Prince Norodom Ranariddh was a former leader returning to politics, but his severe injury in a head-on collision means Prime Minister Hun Sen is unable to give voters even the veneer of an honest election
His impaired condition puts even the semblance of an open democratic process – designed to make Prime Minister Hun Sen’s re-election look like it was part of a fair fight – in peril.
Welcome to Asia’s newest one-party state
The Funcinpec Party’s 74-year-old candidate has not left his Bangkok hospital, or even been seen, since he was hurt in a head-on collision on a costal highway on June 17. With the national election set for July 29, a close source claims his return to politics is doubtful.
Initial reports claimed he had only broken his leg.
“He can hardly speak,” the source said, adding that the prince seems “a bit lost”.
Hun Sen – one of the world’s longest serving leaders – is seeking to prolong his 33-year grip on power in the national vote and has methodically used the courts to cripple his opponents.
