The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Hun Sen swept to a landslide victory in senate elections on Sunday. Initial results from the National Election Committee (NEC) showed that the CPP took 11,202 votes from a turnout of 11,670 voters. The CPP’s spokesman, Sok Eysan said the elections were held in a “free and fair” manner in line with democracy. Rights groups and members of the opposing Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) have called the vote a “sham” and “undemocratic” after almost half of the councillors were stripped of their right to vote after the CNRP was dissolved by a court last November at the government’s request. Its leader, Kem Sokha, last year were arrested for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government with US help, an accusation both the United States and Kem Sokha have rejected.