Elections in Cambodia

Elections In Cambodia

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.