The Senate yesterday passed three laws in a half-day session, it said in a statement, despite a boycott by Sam Rainsy Party senators.

The National Strategic Development Plan 2014-2018, a guiding government policy document that calls for nearly $27 billion in spending and investment over the next five years, was one of the laws passed.

The others were a law on legal cooperation between Cambodia and Vietnam and an extradition treaty with Vietnam.

All were passed on June 26 by the National Assembly, which remains home to only ruling CPP parliamentarians.

“The Senate examined and absolutely agreed [to approve the three laws] without changes with 42 senators [voting],” Senate secretary-general Um Sarith said in a statement.

But Kong Kom, an SRP senator, said 11 opposition senators boycotted the session because the laws had been passed by a “single-party” National Assembly. “We don’t want to [approve] the illegitimate National Assembly.”