Elections in Cambodia

Cambodia
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Cambodia
Monarchy King Norodom Sihamoni
Government Prime Minister Hun Sen
Parliament Senate National Assembly
Elections 2003 2008 2013
Political parties CPP SRP Funcinpec
Foreign relations
Subdivisions Provinces Districts Communes
Related issues Human rights Cambodian–Thai border stand-off
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Cambodia elects on national level a legislature. Parliament has two chambers. The National Assembly of Cambodia (Khmer: រដ្ឋសភាជាតិ, Radhsphea) has 123 members, elected for a five-year term by proportional representation. The Senate (Khmer: ព្រឹទ្ធសភា, Sénat) has 61 members, appointed by the king on recommendation of the parties in the National Assembly. Cambodia is a one party dominant state with the Cambodian People's Party in power.

Since the signing of the 1991 Paris Peace Accords ending decades of civil war and foreign occupation, and with the final elimination in 1998 of armed insurgency groups inside the country, three national elections have taken place in Cambodia in 1993, 1998 and 2003. The first national elections was administered by United Nations Transitional Authority for Cambodia (UNTAC) in July 1993, the first commune-level election was held in February 2002 and the Cambodian Senate was elected for the first time by the elected commune council officials in January 2006.

Three main political parties have dominated Cambodian politics over the last decade: the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), the United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC) and, more recently, the Sam Rainsy Party. Although the CPP dominated the elections held on July 27, 2003, it did not win the two-thirds majority required under the constitution to form a government on its own. A new government was formed on July 15, 2004 after protracted negotiations between the CPP and FUNCINPEC on forming a coalition government.

In early 2006, the CPP further consolidated its hold on power by successfully passing through Parliament an amendment to the constitution that will allow for a 50% plus one majority in the National Assembly to form a government (instead of the two-thirds majority), thereby reducing its future reliance on FUNCINPEC or another coalition partner.

Latest elections

Main article: Cambodian parliamentary election, 2008

• July 27, 2008 Elections Results

 Summary of the 27 July 2008 National Assembly election results

Party	Votes	%		Seats
Cambodian People's Party	3,492,374	58.1%		90
Sam Rainsy Party	1,316,714	21.9%		26
Human Rights Party	397,816	6.62%		3
Norodom Ranariddh Party	337,943	5.62%		2
FUNCINPEC	303,764	5.05%		2
League for Democracy	68,909	1.15%		—
Khmer Democratic Party	32,386	0.54%		—
Democratic Movement Party	25,065	0.42%		—
Society of Justice Party	14,112	0.23%		—
Khmer Republican Party	11,693	0.19%		—
Khmer Anti-Poverty Party	9,501	0.16%		—
Total (turnout 81.5%)	6,010,277			123
Source: www.necelect.org.kh

• January 22, 2006 Senate Elections Results

Political Parties	# seats won	# votes estimated
CPP	43	7,854
FUNCINPEC	9	2,320
Sam Rainsy Party	2	1,165
Total	54	11,352

Sources: List of Senators
Ruling party wins Cambodia poll

Past elections

The country's first elections since the 1970s took place from May 23–28 in 1993. Percent of vote per party:

• FUNCINPEC - 45%
• Cambodian People's Party - 38%
• Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party - 10%
• Minor parties - 7%

Seats gained:

• FUNCINPEC - 58 seats
• Cambodian People's Party - 51 seats
• Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party - 10 seats
• Molinaka Party - 1 seat

<more to be added>

See also

• Electoral calendar
• Electoral system

External links

• National Election Committee
• Adam Carr's Election Archive
• Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) - Development policy research institute
• Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL) - NGO
• Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (COFFEL) - NGO