Former Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, president of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), casts his ballot during a Senate election in Kandal province, Cambodia, Feb. 25, 2024. Cambodia's Senate election for the fifth legislative term kicked off on Sunday, with four political parties taking part in the race, a National Election Committee (NEC) spokesperson said. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

Cambodia's Senate election for the fifth legislative term kicked off on Sunday, with four political parties taking part in the race, a National Election Committee (NEC) spokesperson said.

"All 33 polling stations were open at 7:00 a.m. (local time) and will be closed at 3:00 p.m.," Dim Sovannarom, a NEC member and spokesperson, told Xinhua.

The four political parties contesting in the election are the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), the Funcinpec Party, the Khmer Will Party, and the Nation Power Party, he said.

Former Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, president of the CPP, cast his ballot at a polling station in southern Kandal province, as his son, incumbent Prime Minister Hun Manet, voted in the capital Phnom Penh.

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

Sovannarom said that all 125 members of the National Assembly, or the lower house, and 11,622 commune councilors will cast their ballots at the 33 polling stations across the Southeast Asian country.

He added that the Senate, or the upper house, has 62 seats, but the vote will be held for 58 seats only, as two senators will be appointed by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and two others by the National Assembly.

Preliminary results will be announced on Sunday evening, as temporary results will be publicized on March 2, and the official ones with allocation of seats will be on April 2 if there is no complaint filed by any political parties against the results, he said.

In the last Senate election in 2018, the CPP won all 58 seats.