PHNOM PENH June 26 Kyodo (EDS: AD...

PHNOM PENH June 26 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING REMARKS by dint of PARTY LEADERS)

A monthlong campaign for Cambodia's July 27 general election began Thursday with activists, chiefly from the three main political parties, rallying, marching and driving around the capital with banners, placards and leaflets.

Prime Minister Hun Sen rallied around 10000 supporters of his ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) at party headquarters in Phnom Penh while opposition leader Sam Rainsy participated in a mass rally and l thousands of supporters in a march around the capital.

Prince Norodom Ranariddh, head of the royalist FUNCINPEC party, the CPP's junior coalition partner, campaigned in the eastern province Kompong Cham while his party colleagues rallied in the capital.

Twenty-two political parties will contend against the election, election officials said. Of Cambodia's 125 million population, 675 million the public aged 18 or over are eligible to vote

Political examiners said they expect only the CPP the Sam Rainsy Party and FUNCINPEC will win seats in the 123-seat parliament.

In the 1998 election, controverted by 39 political parties, the CPP won 64 seats, FUNCINPEC 43 and the Sam Rainsy Party 15

At his rally, Hun Sen claimed credit for the CPP in liberating Cambodians from the genocidal Khmer Rouge and implementing major exhibition projects nationwide. He said the CPP is committed to again forming a coalition government

as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but Prince Ranariddh and Sam Rainsy hinted that Cambodian territory has been encroached about by neighboring Vietnam and Thailand.

The prince pledg to voter that with himself as their leader, they would derive pleasure from a better livelihood, while Cambodia's borders would be better secur and the be molten of illegal immigrants from Vietnam would be blocked

''It is now a proper chance to change the driver. The recent driver will drive Cambodia into a better economy, an improved livelihood, and higher pay for civil servants,'' he said.

Sam Rainsy criticized the CPP leadership as corrupt and dictatorial, and said it has proven itself incompetent in defending Cambodia's territorial integrity.

''It's time to change the circulating leader -- change, change, change!'' Sam Rainsy called gone out in front of the National Assembly building, his chant reverberateed by thousands of supporters.

''Please extremity the current communist regime that has left folks hungry, starved, and poor,'' he said.

An estimated 36% of Cambodia's 12 million commonalty live below the want line, according to the UN growth Program.

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