2024 Cambodian Senate election

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2024 Cambodian Senate election
Flag of Cambodia.svg
  2018 25 February 20242030 

58 of the 62 seats in the Senate
31 seats needed for a majority
Turnout11,730 (99.86%)
PartyLeader%Seats+/–
CPP Hun Sen 85.9255−3
Khmer Will Party Kong Molika [lower-alpha 1] 11.923New
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Senate elections were held in Cambodia on 25 February 2024. [1] [2] These were the fifth Senate elections in the country's history.

Contents

Background

After resigning as prime minister in 2023, Hun Sen stated his intention to continue his political career as the President of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), a member of the National Assembly, and the President of the Supreme Privy Council. After the Senate election on 25 February 2024, he announced his intention to also become President of the Senate. [3] In recent years, major opposition parties to Hun Sen's regime have been prevented from contesting elections due to controversial court rulings. [4] In the previous Senate elections in 2018, the CPP won all contested seats in the chamber after the dissolution of its main rival, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which was believed to have been engineered by the government. [5]

On 5 September 2023, the Candlelight Party (CLP) was advised by the National Election Committee (NEC) to make every effort to locate the original registration document issued by the Ministry of Interior or obtain a new one in order to be eligible to vote in the Senate election. NEC spokesman Hang Puthea suggested that CLP leaders should try to locate the missing original paperwork or appeal to the Ministry of Interior to follow the legal process in order to obtain a new original document to register the candidates and parties at the NEC. According to CLP spokesman Kimsour Phirith, party officials wrote to Interior Minister Sar Sokha to address the issue with the party's registration documentation. According to him, the party is still exerting significant effort to request that the Ministry of Interior streamline the procedure and make it simpler for political parties to register. [6]

Electoral system

The Senate of Cambodia is elected every 6 years by an indirect party-list proportional representation through 8 multi-member constituencies (regions), with the Communal Chiefs, Communal Councilors, and members of the National Assembly. [7]

RegionsSeats
Region 16
Region 28
Region 35
Region 410
Region 57
Region 67
Region 79
Region 86
RegionsProvinces
Region 1Phnom Penh
Region 2Kampong Cham, Tboung Khmum
Region 3Kandal
Region 4Banteay Meachey, Battambang, Siem Reap, Pailin, Oddar Meanchey
Region 5Kampot, Kep, Takeo
Region 6Prey Veng, Svay Rieng
Region 7Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Preah Sihanouk, Koh Kong, Pursat
Region 8Kampong Thom, Preah Vihear, Kratie, Strung Treng, Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri

Candidates

Members of Senate not standing for re-election

MPFirst electedPartyDate announced
Say Chhum 2012 CPP 26 July 2023 [8]
Sim Ka 2018 CPP 28 November 2023 [9]
Tep Ngorn 2012 CPP 28 November 2023 [9]
Lau Meng Khin 2012 CPP 28 November 2023 [9]

Contesting Parties

Ballot
Number
PartyParty LeaderConstituencies
Contested
Seats
Contested
Ref.
1 Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen 858 [10]
2 Khmer Will Party Kong Molika858 [11]
3 FUNCINPEC Norodom Chakravuth 858 [12]
4Nation Power PartySun Chanthy858 [13]

Conduct

Allegations of irregularities

The Candlelight party alleged that its local councilors were targeted by attempts at intimidation and vote-buying. It added that provincial authorities aligned to the CPP were visiting Candlelight councilors asking them to stay away from polling stations or bribe them to vote for the CPP. The latter denied the claims, describing them as a "distortion of the facts." [14]

Results

Preliminary results released by the NEC showed that the CPP had won 55 of the 58 contested seats in the Senate, with the remaining four seats being filled by appointees of King Norodom Sihamoni and the National Assembly. The other three contested seats were won by the Khmer Will Party, a coalition of parties opposed to Hun Sen and a proxy of the Candlelight Party. [14] [4] It also showed that the opposition had lost ground in Phnom Penh to the CPP by nearly half of its votes and by 30 percent in the surrounding Kandal Province. [14]

Cambodge Senat 2024.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Cambodian People's Party 10,05285.9255-3
Khmer Will Party 1,39411.923New
Nation Power Party2342.000New
FUNCINPEC 190.1600
Members appointed by National Assembly20
Members appointed by Monarch [15] 20
Total11,699100.0062
Valid votes11,69999.74
Invalid/blank votes310.26
Total votes11,730100.00
Registered voters/turnout11,74799.86
Source: KT, NEC, KT, VP

Results by region

RegionsCPPKWPFUNCINPECNPPBlank/invalidTotal
Votes %SeatsVotes %SeatsVotes %SeatsVotes %Seats
Region 181790.18%6889.71%010.11%000.00%07
Region 2112182.12%723917.51%110.07%040.29%0
Region 377984.22%513014.05%040.43%0121.30%0
Region 4119177.95%921814.27%110.07%01187.72%0
Region 5118788.78%714811.07%000.00%020.15%0
Region 6116182.28%624517.36%110.07%040.28%0
Region 7157590.47%91518.67%000.00%0150.86%0
Region 8150184.99%61759.91%0110.62%0794.47%0
Total10,11786.99%551,39411.01%3190.15%02341.85%0711,730
Source: National Election Committee

Elected Senators

PartyName

Reactions

CPP spokesperson Sok Eysan said that the election results were better than expected for the party and said that it was likely that Hun Sen would become the new Senate president once the official results are released by the NEC in April. [4] Hun Sen was officially sworn in as Senate President following a unanimous vote by the chamber on 3 April. [16]

Exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy said that the minor opposition gains in the election were encouraging signs for democracy and a victory despite challenges such as fear, threats and vote-buying. [4]

Notes

  1. Khmer Will Party named Son Chhay as its leading candidate, however Kong Molika was the central leading figure throughout the election.

Related Research Articles

Phnom Penh is one of the 25 constituencies of the National Assembly of Cambodia. It is allocated 12 seats in the National Assembly. It is currently the largest constituency.

Banteay Meanchey is one of the 25 constituencies of the National Assembly of Cambodia. It is allocated 6 seats in the National Assembly.

Battambang Province is one of the 25 constituencies of the National Assembly of Cambodia. It is allocated 8 seats in the National Assembly.

Kampong Chhnang is one of the 25 constituencies of the National Assembly of Cambodia. It is allocated 4 seats in the National Assembly.

Kampot Province is one of the 25 constituencies of the National Assembly of Cambodia. It is allocated 6 seats in the National Assembly.

Koh Kong is one of the 25 constituencies of the National Assembly of Cambodia. It is allocated 1 seat in the National Assembly.

Kratié Province is one of the 6 constituencies of the National Assembly of Cambodia. It is allocated 3 seats in the National Assembly.

Mondulkiri is one of the 6 constituencies of the National Assembly of Cambodia. It is allocated 1 seat in the National Assembly.

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General elections were held in Cambodia on 23 July 2023 to elect members of the National Assembly. The Cambodian People's Party (CPP) held all seats in parliament prior to the elections.

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References

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  15. Two independents
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