The recent Senate election in Cambodia was held on Sunday, February 25, 2024. It was the fifth election for the country’s upper house of the parliament, which has 62 seats.

However, only 58 seats were up for grabs, as two senators are appointed by the king and two by the National Assembly. The election was by non-universal suffrage, with only members of the National Assembly and commune councilors being eligible to vote. Four political parties participated in the election: the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), the royalist Funcinpec Party, the Khmer Will Party, and the Nation Power Party¹².

According to preliminary results, the CPP won a landslide victory, securing at least 50 seats, or more than 80 percent of the total votes¹³.

This is another case of electoral manipulation by the CPP, which also won a sweeping victory in the general election in July 2023¹.

The CPP’s president, former Prime Minister Hun Sen, who stepped down last year after nearly four decades of hardline rule, will take over as the president of the Senate after the election¹⁴. This will allow him to act as the head of state when the king is overseas, and to maintain his influence over the government, which now includes many of his relatives and allies⁴⁵.

Some analysts see this as a sign of the Hun family’s further consolidation of power and a way to protect his son and successor, Hun Manet⁴⁵.

The Senate election was widely seen as a foregone conclusion, as most of the eligible voters are members of the CPP, and the opposition parties have little representation or influence.

The main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was dissolved by the Supreme Court in 2017, and many of its leaders and activists have been jailed or exiled.

The Candlelight Party Cambodia is a liberal political party that emerged from the former opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was dissolved by the Supreme Court in 2017. The Candlelight Party is led by Teav Vannol, a former senator and human rights activist, and has four other vice presidents, including Son Chhay, a former lawmaker and deputy opposition leader¹. The party’s slogan is “Integrity, Truth, Justice” and its symbol is a candle flame³.

The Candlelight Party is the only remaining opposition party that challenges the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power since 1985. However, the Candlelight Party faces many obstacles and restrictions, such as legal harassment, physical attacks, media censorship, and electoral manipulation. The party was barred from participating in the 2023 general election by the National Election Committee, which claimed that the party did not submit the required documents on time². The party appealed the decision, but it was rejected by the Constitutional Council. The party also boycotted the 2022 commune elections, saying that they were not free and fair³.

The Candlelight Party has been calling for the release of its former leader, Kem Sokha, who was arrested in 2017 on charges of treason and sentenced to 27 years in house arrest in March 2024. The party also demands the restoration of democracy and human rights in Cambodia, and the end of the CPP’s monopoly on power. The party has been seeking support from the international community, especially from the European Union and the United States, which have imposed sanctions and suspended trade preferences on Cambodia over its human rights violations²³. The party also hopes to mobilize the Cambodian people, especially the youth, to join its cause and demand change. The party’s motto is “We are the candlelight that will never go out”³.

The international community has condemned the political crackdown and the lack of democracy and human rights in Cambodia⁴⁵.

The CPP has allegedly defended its actions as necessary to receive support from China, its main economic and strategic partner⁵.

Source: Conversation with Bing, 2/25/2024
(1) Roundup: Cambodia’s ruling party wins landslide victory in Senate election. https://www.malaysiasun.com/news/274137282/roundup-cambodia-ruling-party-wins-landslide-victory-in-senate-election.
(2) Cambodia holds Senate election for fifth term. https://en.vietnamplus.vn/cambodia-holds-senate-election-for-fifth-term/279967.vnp.
(3) Cambodia ex-PM Hun Sen returns to frontline politics for senate seat. https://www.brecorder.com/news/40290654.
(4) Cambodia’s ruling party wins sweeping victory in Senate election; ex-PM …. https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2024/02/25/cambodia039s-ruling-party-wins-sweeping-victory-in-senate-election-ex-pm-hun-sen-returns-to-frontline-politics.
(5) Cambodia’s ruling party wins sweeping victory in Senate election. http://www.china.org.cn/world/2024-02/26/content_117018922.htm.
(6) Roundup: Cambodia’s Ruling Party Wins Landslide Victory in Senate Election. https://cambodianess.com/article/roundup-cambodias-ruling-party-wins-landslide-victory-in-senate-election.