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Rong Chhun announces he will join the Candlelight Party at the Cambodia Independent Teachers' Association office in Phnom Penh on January 31, 2023. (Hean Rangsey/VOD)

Union Leader Rong Chhun Joins Candlelight 

Prominent unionist Rong Chhun joined the Candlelight Party on Tuesday, months shy of the national election and he expected a “big achievement” for the party in July.

Candlelight Party rally in Phnom Penh on May 21, 2022. (Andrew Haffner/VOD)

Bumpy Path Ahead for Under-Pressure Candlelight Party

As the Candlelight Party faces an onslaught of lawsuits and violent threats, a party official said they were moving ahead with preparations for the July election, with analysts predicting a bumpy path to the ballot box for the primary opposition threat to Hun Sen. 

Candlelight Party provincial heads meet with national leaders in Phnom Penh on January 23, 2023. (Candlelight Party Telegram)

Candlelight Leadership Calls for Calm After Hun Sen Threats

Provincial heads for the Candlelight Party said they were asked to lower their rhetoric and refrain from personal criticisms of ruling party officials as the party grapples with threats made last week by Prime Minister Hun Sen.