PHNOM PENH, March 16 (Xinhua) -- About 2,200 senior members of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) gathered here on Saturday to lay out strategies in order to gain victory in a general election on July 28, the party's chief said.

"Our party's conference today is to evaluate the results of the implementation of the party's political platform in the last five years and to lay out the next five-year political platform," CPP's President Chea Sim said in the opening remarks.

"The new political platform is the party's most important political agenda in order to serve electoral campaigns in seeking support from voters in the general election on July 28, 2013," he said.

Chea Sim, who is currently serving as the President of the Senate, said in the last five years, under the CPP's leadership, Cambodia has attained great achievements in all fields--politics, economics, social affairs, culture, foreign affairs and so on.

"The country has maintained political, social, macro-economic and financial stabilities and firmly defended sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and social safety," he said.

The two-day congress is expected to reaffirm its support for the candidate of incumbent Prime Minister Hun Sen, CPP's Vice- President, for the post of Prime Minister for the 5th legislative term as Cambodia sets to hold the general election in July.

Hun Sen, 61, has been in power for 28 years and vowed to stay in the office until he is 90.

The CPP won up to 90 seats out the 123 parliamentary seats in the last election in July 2008.

PHNOM PENH, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia announced Friday that dangerous natural phenomena such as lightning and thunderstorms will happen in Cambodia from mid-March to late June this year and urged the public to be vigilant.

"These natural phenomena could cause harm to humans, animals and properties," said the announcement of the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology signed by Minister Lim Kean Hor.

"Such phenomena often happen at areas with very hot weather and clouds are made up in mushroom-like shapes before evolving to black clouds that cause rain. At the same time, lightning and thunderstorms will occur,"it said.

"The ministry would like to appeal to all people to pay high attention to these phenomena in order to avoid dangers."

The notice was issued after a strong rain and wind hit some provinces in the country's northwest Thursday afternoon and killed four people and injured four others. About 400 houses were destroyed.

Among the four deaths, three were due to houses collapsed on them and one was struck by lightning.

According to a report of the National Committee for Disaster Management, lightning strikes killed 103 Cambodian people and injured 72 others last year, while violent storms claimed five lives and injured 37 others.