Cambodia – France deplores the exclusion of the main opposition party from the upcoming legislative elections (16 May 2023)

France deplores the refusal by Cambodia’s National Election Committee to register the Candlelight Party, the main opposition party, ahead of the general elections scheduled for July 23. This development is a troubling signal that undermines the democratic nature of the vote.

France calls on the appropriate authorities to take the necessary measures to allow the Candlelight Party to participate in this important democratic exercise. As the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy emphasized, we will continue to call for the holding of free, transparent, pluralistic elections in accordance with the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements and the Cambodian Constitution.