Numbers Slumbers

Recorded by David Oppetit in Phnom Penh Cambodia on July 29, 2018 during the counting of ballot papers in the public square. The word that comes up most often in the recording is the "number 20" corresponding to the number of the CPP on the list, finally left elected more than 80% of the votes. General elections 2018 (Khmer: ការបោះឆ្នោតជ្រើសតាំងតំណាងរាស្ត្រ នីតិកាលទី៦ ឆ្នាំ២០១៨) were held in Cambodia on Sunday, 29 July 2018 to elect members of the sixth National Assembly. Polling precincts opened at 7:00 a.m. and closed at 3:00 p.m. The number of registered voters has decreased for the first time since 1993 and was down 13.39% from the previous general election. Voter turnout was 83.02%. It was a landslide victory for the ruling Cambodian People's Party, who won all 125 seats in the National Assembly. The legitimacy of the 2018 election has been called into question by various commentators and media outlets. There were a record number of invalid ballots, accounting for 8.6% of the total votes cast, more than any votes received by a political party barring the CPP. Various international governments including Australia, Canada, the European Union, and the United States dismissed the election results, and threatened to impose sanctions on Hun Sen's government. China, the Philippines, Laos and Thailand were among the countries to congratulate the CPP on their victory. (Wiki) Photo: / Mak Remissa / EPA /MaxPPP