#Rise of nations full

They also say the party nurtures a reputation as CambodiaвЂ™s economic savior by taking credit for infrastructure improvements, plastering the names of the party and its leaders on government projects. Opponents say politics have been largely frozen since then, with Hun SenвЂ™s party using government agencies - especially the police and courts - to maintain tight control, while fostering close alliances with China and North Korea.Д¬ritics say the party ensures its popularity by buying votes with sarongs, rice and small sums of money.

#Rise of nations full

Hun Sen then ousted the co-premier in a coup and took full control of the government in 1997. Finally, the factions agreed to a truce and to let the United Nations organize the first open national election.ДЄ party representing the royal family won that race in 1993, but the Cambodian PeopleвЂ™s Party demanded a joint leadership role for Hun Sen, a onetime Khmer Rouge officer who defected from the movement. Starting in 1970, Cambodia suffered five years of all-out war, then four years of murderous communist Khmer Rouge rule, then 14 years of on-and-off civil war. 'There are many, many steps remaining for this country before it is a fully functioning democracy, but when you look at it from a vantage point of CambodiaвЂ™s recent history in the last 10 years or so, you can see clear progress.' 'This election is an important step on the road to a truly democratic Cambodia,' said Andrews, a former congressman from Maine who has been observing CambodiaвЂ™s evolution from communism to democracy.

But that doesnвЂ™t diminish the value of these elections, said Tom Andrews, senior adviser for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. Most observers predict that Hun Sen and his Cambodian PeopleвЂ™s Party will win big because of the partyвЂ™s massive campaign push and its year-round presence in almost every village. They express a desire for a more legitimately competitive political system and a broader spectrum of political players, instead of the singular grip of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled the country since 1993. Skyscraper construction in the capital, promising oil exploration and fast-growing international tourism are starting to produce a better standard of living in a country where a third of the 14 million citizens get by on less than $1 a day.ДЄs Cambodians head to the polls Sunday for national elections, some say the countryвЂ™s economic transformation should be matched by a political one. Democratic GoalsД«y Katie Nelson, Special to The Washington PostД«ATTAMBANG, Cambodia - After almost four decades of war and poverty, life is looking up in Cambodia.