At a polling station in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (Photo: AFP/VNA) Phnom Penh (VNA) – The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) won a sweeping victory in the 5th Senate (the upper house) election on February 25.
According to the preliminary vote counting results announced by Cambodia's National Election Committee (NEC) on February 26, the party won at least 50 of the 58 Senate seats up for grabs, or more than 80% of the total votes.
The CPC received 10,052 votes in support, followed by the Khmer Will Party with 1,394 votes. Meanwhile, the National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC) Party and the National Power Party received about 250 votes.
As many as 11,730 out of the 11,747 eligible voters, or 99.86%, went to vote at 33 polling stations in the eight regional constituencies across Cambodia for the election.
The election was conducted smoothly in a free and fair manner, an election official stressed.
Held every six years, the election for the Senate is by a non-universal suffrage as only members of the National Assembly (the lower house) and commune councilors across the Southeast Asian country are eligible to cast ballots.
The Senate has 62 seats, but the vote was held for 58 seats as two senators will be appointed by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and two others by the National Assembly.
The NEC plans to announce the official results of the election on April 2./.
