Phnom Penh (Antara Bali) - Chief of the Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International (CAPDI) Jusuf Kalla arrived in Phnom Penh on Saturday for a two-day visit at the invitation of the Cambodian government to monitor elections in the country on Sunday.
Eight political parties will contest the July 28 polls for 123 seats in the parliament. The parties include two main parties, the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) led by Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) led by opposition leader Sam Rainsy.
Sam Rainsy has just returned from four years of self-exile in France to avoid 11 years' imprisonment on disinformation and public property vandalism charges.
He returned to Cambodia last week after King Norodom Sihamoni had given him a pardon at the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
However, he could not contest in the elections. More than 9.6 million Cambodians will cast their votes at around 19 thousand polling booths on Sunday. Some 40 thousand national observers and 291 international observers have been registered at the Cambodian Elections Commission (NEC).
CAPDI, formerly known as Centrist Democrats International (CDI) is an organization of Asia Pacific political parties. In its further developments, its members are not only limited to political parties but also to social figures, academics, and former top state officials.
While in Cambodia, Kalla is accompanied by former minister of law and human rights Hamid Awaluddin. (*/DWA)
