PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the Ministry of Labor and Phnom Penh Capital Administration to provide 300 to 350 free buses to transport workers to their hometowns to ease the voting process and promote the general election on July 23.

In an audio message posted to his Telegram on July 11, the PM said that providing buses for workers is not a bribe or an exchange for votes, but an effort to make voting fair and accessible and to reduce traffic around Election Day. He said the number of buses will be proportionate to the number of workers from any given province.

"I would like to make it clear that this transport is done without discrimination of any political party," he said. “It is not a bid for more votes. We will transport people of any political party, without discrimination. We do not care who they are voting for.”

He added that the buses will depart for the provinces on July 22 and will return workers on July 24.

The 7th National Assembly Election will be held on July 23, 2023. To alleviate the stress of making it to the polls, the government has declared a workers’ holiday from the day before, until the day after the election (July 22-24).