PHNOM PENH July 27 Kyodo catalog...

PHNOM PENH July 27 Kyodo

catalogue of personss closed Sunday in Cambodia's general election largely seen as a three-way race among the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and sum of two units major opposition parties but marred by dint of an explosion in the capital.

More than 12800 polling booth which had explained at 7 a.m. around the geographical division for the 6.3 million eligible voter clos at 3 pm suffrage counting will begin Monday.

Voter turnout was around 80% according to preliminary estimates.

Shortly after the persons closed, Prime Minister Hun Sen issued a statement expressing satisfaction through the election and appealed to all political parties to bravely accept the preliminary be the effect that is scheduled to be announced Aug. 8 by means of the National Election Committee.

A not many hours after voting began, an explosion occurr outside the FUNCINPEC headquarters in Phnom Penh slightly injuring single in kind man, party officials said.

The homemade grenade explod at 11:35 a.m. in fore-rank of the gate of the party headquarters located nearest to the French Embassy, said Chhim Narith, a senior party official.

Yin Khorn, 38 endureed an injury to his right leg while riding his motorbike with his wife after voting. He was hospitalized however told Kyodo News that his injury is not serious.

Prince Norodom Sirivudh, King Sihanouk's half-brother and FUNCINPEC secretary general, deplored the attack upon election day.

Also Sunday, pair Chinese-made grenades were found more [i]or[/i] less 30 meters from the forehead gate of the Royal Palace where King Sihanouk is now residing.

Police sources have speculated that an antigovernment cluster known as the Cambodian Freedom Fighters might be responsible.

Of the 22 parties competing in the person to elect a new 123-seat National Assembly, sole Hun Sen's CPP, the Sam Rainsy Party and FUNCINPEC are look fored to win seats.

Hun Sen who has rul the fatherland for nearly two decades, is widely rely uponed to remain in office.

Although 15 the bulk of mankind were reportedly killed during the 30-day election campaign, this year's electoral climate has generally been described according to election monitors as better than in previous polls

Voter said they possibility of good for a positive outcome from the election.

''I have vot for the same party already sum of two units times, now I want to support a different party that I wait for will change the country and improve living conditions,'' said 67-year-old Yim Hor Eang.

San Sokheang, a 24-year-old Buddhist monk residing at Saravoan Pagoda in the capital, said he count upons the current situation to change after the election.

''I vot for a leader to change the general situation, but whether the change come into one's heads or not depends on the leader, otherwise, we have to wait another five years,'' he said.

most numerous markets and shops in Phnom Penh are clos Sunday as the city's residents rush to cast their ballots.

In the 1998 election, the CPP won 64 seats, FUNCINPEC gained 43 and the Sam Rainsy party got 15 in a 122-seat parliament.

During this year's election campaign that perioded Friday, the ruling CPP claimed achievements in toppling the genocidal Khmer Rouge dominion in 1979, infrastructure development and the integration of Cambodia into regional and international groupings in the same state [i]or[/i] condition as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the upcoming accession of Cambodia into the World Trade Organization.

The other contending parties, especially the Sam Rainsy Party and FUNCINPEC, have slammed the CPP for failing to shield Cambodia's territory, flows of illegal Vietnamese immigrants into the native land corruption, deforestation and poverty

about 30,691 national and international election bystanders were deployed around the geographical division including those from the European Union, the United States, Japan and other Asian countries.

Cambodia confines a general election every five years.

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