Preap Kol, senior program manager for the National Democratic Institute, discussed local elections Monday on "Hello VOA," answering questions from callers on what the nation learned from its second commune elections since the 1991 Paris Accords.
NDI, a US democracy advocacy group, sponsored numerous open debates across the country in the weeks prior to the election, providing a forum for smaller parties and ruling party incumbents to highlight achievements since the last election or make promises beyond this one.
Peaceful elections were held April 1, with the Cambodian People's Party winning up to 98 percent of chief seats on commune councils.