Cambodian Parliament today amended a law to stop anyone convicted of an offense from running for office. Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party voted to change the 1998 election law to ban parties that engage in activities that include incitement, promoting secession or anything that could harm national security. <br/><br/>According to the new law, politicians convicted by a court are banned from standing for election and their parties can be dissolved. Welcoming the change to the election rules, the ruling Party's lawmaker Chheang Vun said, the law would allow the Interior Ministry to start closing some of Cambodia's 76 political parties.<br/><br/> Opposition parties accused Prime Minister Hun Sen,of unfair maneuvering to try to retain his three-decade grip on power at local elections in June and a general election next year. <br/><br/>Critics also said that the changes approved would undermine the multi-party democracy established in the Southeast Asian state by 1991 peace accords and could turn Cambodia into a de facto one-party state.