Cambodian Senate elections kick off but opposition cries foul

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The election for the upper house of the Cambodian Senate kicked off on Sunday with four political parties taking part in the race, a spokesman said.

"All polling stations were opened at 7:00 am (local time) and will be closed at 3:00 pm," Hang Puthea, a spokesman for the National Election Committee (NEC), told Xinhua.

The four contesting parties are the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the Funcinpec Party of Prince Norodom Ranariddh, the Cambodian Youth Party, and the Khmer National United Party.

A supporter of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), holds the party's flag as he attends a senate election campaign at the Freedom Park in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, February 23, 2018. /VCG Photo

The Senate election, held every six years, is a non-general election because ordinary citizens do not take part in the electoral process.

According to Puthea, all 123 members of parliament and 11,572 commune councilors will vote at 33 polling stations across the country.

The spokesperson said preliminary results will be announced on Sunday afternoon, with official results being announced on March 3 if there is no complaint filed by any political parties against the result.

Criticism arises

However, rights groups and opposition politicians said the Senate vote is a farce, saying Hun Sen, the prime minister, who is facing a national election in July, is not committed to multi-party democracy.

Almost half of the commune councilors have been stripped of their right to vote in Sunday’s election after their opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved by a court last November at the request of Hun Sen’s government.

Supporters of Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) shout slogans in a rally on the last day of the commune election campaign in Phnom Penh on June 2, 2017. /VCG Photo‍

Chheang Vannarith, vice-chairman of the Cambodian Institute for Strategic Studies, said the ruling CPP was likely to sweep the election following the dissolution of the main opposition party.

"The CPP will likely grab all the seats because there is no main contesting party," he told Xinhua.

The Supreme Court ordered on Nov. 16 last year the dissolution of the opposition CNRP after its leader Kem Sokha was arrested on Sept. 3 and charged with treason for allegedly conspiring with a foreign power in an attempt to overthrow the government.

Following the dissolution, 55 CNRP members of parliament and 5,007 commune councilors were ousted from their seats, and the seats were reallocated by the NEC to other political parties.

The CPP and the Funcinpec Party received most of the seats.

The CPP currently holds 79 parliamentary seats, or 64 percent of the 123-seat National Assembly and 11,051 commune seats, or 95 percent of the 11,572 commune seats, while Funcinpec Party possesses 41 parliamentary seats and 239 commune seats.

(With input from Reuters)

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency