Cambodia's ruling party holds massive rally on final day of campaigning

Phnom Penh, July 21 (IANS) The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) on Friday held a massive rally to mark the end of a three-week campaign for the general election set to take place on July 23.

During the rally held at the Diamond Island in Phnom Penh, Hun Manet, the future Prime Minister candidate for the CPP, said that if the CPP wins the election, their party-led government will launch the Pentagon Strategy Phase I for 2023-2028 in a journey to achieve their vision of becoming a high-income country by 2050, reports Xinhua news agency.

Manet, the 45-year-old eldest son of incumbent Prime Minister Hun Sen, is a member of the CPP's Standing Committee.

On the closing day of the election campaign, other parties, including the royalist Funcinpec Party and the Khmer National United Party, also gathered in other parts of the capital city.

Eighteen political parties will contest the election for the 125 seats in the National Assembly, the National Election Committee (NEC) said, adding that more than 9.7 million people are eligible to cast their ballots.

In the last general election held five years ago, the CPP won all 125 seats in the National Assembly.

Hun Sen has ruled Cambodia for 38 years, making him the world's longest-serving political leader.