2018 Cambodian Senate election

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2018 Cambodian Senate election
Flag of Cambodia.svg
  2012 25 February 2018 2024  

58 of the 62 seats in the Senate
31 seats needed for a majority
Turnout99.79% (Increase2.svg0.30pp)
PartyLeaderVote %Seats+/–
CPP Say Chhum 96.0558+12
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Senate elections were held in Cambodia on 25 February 2018 after being postponed from 14 January 2018. [1] [2] For the first time, the Senate and parliamentary elections occurred in the same year. The result was a victory for the CPP, which won all 58 seats. [3] King Norodom Sihamoni nominated Princess Norodom Arunrasmy and Oum Somanin to the Senate. [4]

Contents

Background

On 11 February 2017, Rainsy resigned as President of the CNRP, and was succeeded by Sokha. [5] On 3 September, Sokha was arrested and charged with treason, raising questions about the party's future. [6] Another act of repression by the government was the closure of the Cambodia Daily newspaper. [7] On 16 November 2017, the CNRP was forcibly dissolved, eliminating any real challenge to the long-ruling CPP. [8] Its seats in parliament were distributed to three other parties. [9] The CNRP was dissolved and revoked the voting rights of its commune councilors and parliamentarians, leading to the arrest of Kem Sokha, a leader of the CNRP, who was arrested on charges of conspiring to overthrow the government with the help of the US. The US and Khem Sokha have both denied the allegations. [10]

Electoral system

The Senate of Cambodia is elected every 6 years by an indirect party-list proportional representation through 8 multi members constituencies (regions), with the Communal Chiefs, Communal Councilors, Members of the National Assembly. [11]

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

Conduct

According to the National Election Committee (NEC), three political parties running in next week's Senate election have done virtually little campaigning, which NGOs attribute to the dissolution of the main opposition party. The Cambodian Youth Party, the Khmer National United Party, and FUNCIPEC are these parties. Sotheara Yoeurng, legal and monitoring officer of the Cambodian Committee for Free and Fair Elections, claimed the three parties were scarcely campaigning owing to the dissolution of the CNRP. Prior to the next Senate election on February 25, the NEC has prohibited all political parties from campaigning on nine key boulevards in Phnom Penh. [12]

The Ballot was arranged in the order of the following: [13]

Ballot NumbersParties
1)CPP
2)CYP
3)KNUP
4)FUNCINPEC

Results

Cambodian Senate composition 2018-2024.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Cambodian People's Party 11,20296.0558+12
FUNCINPEC 2762.370New
Khmer National United Party 1821.560New
Cambodian Youth Party 30.030New
Members appointed by National Assembly [14] 20
Members appointed by Monarch [15] 20
Total11,663100.0062+1
Valid votes11,66399.94
Invalid/blank votes70.06
Total votes11,670100.00
Registered voters/turnout11,69599.79
Source: Khmer Times

Results by region

Province CPP FUNCINPEC KNUP CYPTotal
Votes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%Seats
Region 189798.57%6111.21%020.22%000%0910
Region 21,30595.33%8453.29%0161.17%030.22%01,369
Region 387194.37%5444.77%080.87%000%0923
Region 42,05492.77%10813.66%0793.57%000%02,214
Region 51,32498.95%7141.05%000%000%01,338
Region 61,39597.83%7181.26%0130.91%000%01,426
Region 71,68297.23%9321.85%0160.92%000%01,730
Region 81,67495.49%6472.68%0321.83%000%01,753
Source: NEC [16]

Elected Senators

PartyName
(Nominated by King) Norodom Arunrasmey
(Nominated by King)Oum Somanin
FUNCINPEC Chea Chantevy
FUNCINPECSuon Mean
Cambodian People's Party Soeuy Keo
Cambodian People's PartyMom Chim Huy
Cambodian People's PartyTy Borasy
Cambodian People's PartyThong Chan
Cambodian People's PartyOuk Bunchhoeun
Cambodian People's PartySuon Lon
Cambodian People's PartyYong Sem
Cambodian People's Party Lao Meng Khin
Cambodian People's PartySok Yat
Cambodian People's Party Say Chhum
Cambodian People's PartySok Eysan
Cambodian People's Party Tep Ngorn
Cambodian People's PartyChan Nareth
Cambodian People's PartyNam Toum
Cambodian People's PartyChhit Kimyeat
Cambodian People's PartyKong Sarath
Cambodian People's PartyLay Piseth
Cambodian People's PartyChea Cheth
Cambodian People's Party Sim Ka
Cambodian People's PartyNey Pena
Cambodian People's PartyKun Net
Cambodian People's PartyOk Kong
Cambodian People's PartySeng Siphy
Cambodian People's PartyOk Kong
Cambodian People's PartyPol Lim
Cambodian People's PartyMen Chhoeun
Cambodian People's PartyAn Sum
Cambodian People's PartyHem Khorn
Cambodian People's PartyChung Kimsran
Cambodian People's PartyKhieu Muth
Cambodian People's PartyMuong Poy
Cambodian People's PartyTim Phan
Cambodian People's PartyChoung Veng
Cambodian People's PartyLan Chhorn
Cambodian People's PartyChuan Leng
Cambodian People's Party
Cambodian People's PartyMen Siphan
Cambodian People's PartyO Sokhom
Cambodian People's Party Kok An
Cambodian People's PartyMong Rithy
Cambodian People's PartyPrak Chamroeun
Cambodian People's PartyNhem Samorn
Cambodian People's Party
Cambodian People's PartyKim Thea
Cambodian People's PartySay Borin
Cambodian People's PartySrey Ben
Cambodian People's PartySam An
Cambodian People's Party
Cambodian People's PartyMam Bunheang
Cambodian People's PartySi Vanath
Cambodian People's PartyChim Lav
Cambodian People's Party Ly Yong Phat
Cambodian People's PartyTep Yuthy
Cambodian People's PartyChheuy Channa
Cambodian People's PartyLy Sary
Cambodian People's PartyChhay Vanna
Cambodian People's PartyKhuon Khundy
Cambodian People's PartyHeng Bora

Reactions

FUNCINPEC

Nhep Bunchin, spokesman for FUNCINPEC, stated the official results did not differ from the preliminary results and that party still supports the election outcome. [17]

Cambodian Youth Party

The CYP's President Pich Sros supported the statement made by FUNCINPEC and stated, "I don't think there was anything wrong with the election". [17]

Khmer National United Party

Run Meatra the spokesman for the party stated, that the party supports the outcome of the election that it was free and fair. [17]

Aftermath

After the election which saw CPP hold all 58 elected seats, the King nominated Princess Norodom Arunrasmy and Oum Somanin to the Senate [4] and the National Assembly elected two FUNCIPEC members to the Senate, bringing the 62-member legislative body dominated by the ruling Cambodian People's Party to a close. [18]

References

  1. "Hun Sen sets Senate elections for January". The Phnom Penh Post. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  2. "Cambodia postpones Senate election to Feb. 25 next year - Xinhua | English.news.cn". Archived from the original on October 27, 2017.
  3. "Cambodia's Ruling Party to Sweep Senate in Election Without Opposition". Voice of America. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  4. 1 2 "CPP claims all 58 seats up for grabs in Senate".
  5. Prak Chan Thul (11 February 2017). "Cambodia opposition leader Rainsy resigns from party". Reuters . Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  6. "Cambodia Arrests Opposition Leader, Accusing Him of Treason". The New York Times . 3 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  7. "Cambodia's government is preparing for elections with repression". The Economist . 7 September 2017.
  8. "Supreme Court rules to dissolve CNRP". The Phnom Penh Post . 16 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  9. "List of new National Assembly members approved". The Phnom Penh Post . 24 November 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  10. "EU threatens sanctions - Khmer Times". 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  11. "ក្នុងការបម្រើជាតិ តើព្រឹទ្ធសភាកម្ពុជា មានតួនាទី ភារកិច្ច និងរចនាសម្ព័ន្ធអ្វីខ្លះ? បើចង់ជ្រាបច្បាស់ សូមរីករាយទស្សនាទាំងអស់គ្នា។ | By TV Senate of Cambodia | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  12. "'Little' campaigning done for Senate polls - Khmer Times". 2018-02-20. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  13. "Ruling party draws number one for Senate election - Khmer Times". 2018-01-08. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  14. Two members of FUNCINPEC
  15. Two independents
  16. National Election Committee, NEC (2018). "Election Results of the 2018 Senate Election by Region" (in Khmer). Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  17. 1 2 3 "Official Senate election results released - Khmer Times". 2018-03-04. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  18. Nachemson, rew; Koemsoeun, Soth. "Two new Funcinpec members confirmed to Senate". www.phnompenhpost.com. Retrieved 2023-04-09.