Politics of Cambodia
Encyclopedia
The Politics of Cambodia takes place in a framework of a constitutional monarchy
, whereby the Prime Minister
is the head of government
and a Monarch
is head of state
. The kingdom formally takes place according to the nation's constitution
(enacted in 1993) in a framework of a parliamentary
, representative democracy
. Executive power
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of parliament, the National Assembly
and the Senate
|Norodom Sihamoni
|
|14 October 2004
|-
|Prime Minister
|Hun Sen
|CPP
|1985
|}
The Prime Minister of Cambodia
is a representative from the ruling party of the National Assembly. He or she is appointed by the King on the recommendation of the President and Vice Presidents of the National Assembly. In order for a person to become Prime Minister, he or she must first be given a vote of confidence by the National Assembly.
The Prime Minister is officially the Head of Government
in Cambodia. Upon entry into office, he or she appoints a Council of Ministers who are responsible to the Prime Minister. Officially, the Prime Minister's duties include chairing meetings of the Council of Ministers (Cambodia's version of a Cabinet
) and appointing and leading a government. The Prime Minister and his government make up Cambodia's executive branch
of government.
The current Prime Minister is Cambodian People's Party
(CPP) member Hun Sen
. He has held this position since the criticized 1998 election, one year after the CPP staged a bloody coup
in Phnom Penh to overthrow elected Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh
, president of the FUNCINPEC
party.
of the Cambodian government is made up of a bicameral parliament
.
The official duty of the Parliament is to legislate and make laws. Bills passed by the Parliament are given to the King who gives the proposed bills Royal Assent
. The King does not have veto
power over bills passed by the National Assembly and thus, cannot withhold Royal Assent. The National Assembly also has the power to dismiss the Prime Minister and his government by a two-thirds vote of no confidence.
Elections were last held for the Senate in 1999. New elections were supposed to have occurred in 2004, but these elections were initially postponed. On January 22, 2006, 11,352 possible voters went to the poll and chose their candidates. This election was criticized by local monitoring non-governmental organizations as being undemocratic http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4638406.stm.
, the Cambodian People's Party
holds forty-three seats in the Senate, constituting a significant majority. The two other major parties holding seats in the Senate are the Funcinpec
party (holding twelve seats) and the Sam Rainsy Party
(holding two seats).
In order to vote in legislative elections, one must be at least eighteen years of age. However, in order to be elected to the Legislature, one must be at least twenty-five years of age.
The National Assembly is led by a President and two Vice Presidents who are selected by Assembly members prior to each session.
, the Cambodian People's Party
holds a majority of the seats in the National Assembly, controlling 90 out of the 123 seats. The Sam Rainsy Party
holds 26 seats and other parties hold the other 7 seats.
election results
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Party
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right colspan=2|%
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right colspan=2|Seats
|-
|align=left|Cambodian People's Party
|3,492,374
|58.1%
|
|90
|-
|align=left|Sam Rainsy Party
|1,316,714
|21.9%
|
|26
|-
|align=left|Human Rights Party
|397,816
|6.62%
|
|3
|-
|align=left|Norodom Ranariddh Party
|337,943
|5.62%
|
|2
|-
|align=left|FUNCINPEC
|303,764
|5.05%
|
|2
|-
|align=left|League for Democracy
|68,909
|1.15%
|
|—
|-
|align=left|Khmer Democratic Party
|32,386
|0.54%
|
|—
|-
|align=left|Democratic Movement Party
|25,065
|0.42%
|
|—
|-
|align=left|Society of Justice Party
|14,112
|0.23%
|
|—
|-
|align=left|Khmer Republican Party
|11,693
|0.19%
|
|—
|-
|align=left|Khmer Anti-Poverty Party
|9,501
|0.16%
|
|—
|-
|align=left colspan="1" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total (turnout 81.5%)
|align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|6,010,277
|align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" colspan=2|
|align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" colspan=2|123
|-
|colspan=5|Source: www.necelect.org.kh
|}
election results
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Party
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right colspan=2|%
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right colspan=2|Seats
|-
|align=left|Cambodian People's Party
|7,854
|69.19%
|
|43
|-
|align=left|FUNCINPEC
|2,320
|20.44%
|
|9
|-
|align=left|Sam Rainsy Party
|1,165
|10.26%
|
|2
|-
|align=left colspan="1" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total (turnout 99.89%)
|align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|11,352
|align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" colspan=2|
|align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" colspan=2|54
|-
|colspan=5|Source: www.necelect.org.kh
|}
Sources:
List of Senators
is independent from the rest of the government, as specified by the Cambodian Constitution
. The highest court of judicial branch is the Supreme Council of the Magistracy. Other, lower courts also exist. Until 1997, Cambodia didn't have a judicial branch of government despite the nation's Constitution requiring one.
The main duties of the judiciary are to prosecute criminals, settle lawsuits, and, most importantly, protect the freedoms and rights of Cambodian citizens. However, in reality, the judicial branch in Cambodia is highly corrupt and often serves as a tool of the executive branch to silence civil society and its leaders http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/01/18/cambod12269.htm.
, i.e. the King reigns but does not rule, in similar fashion to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
. The King is officially the Head of State
and is the symbol of unity and "eternity" of the nation, as defined by Cambodia's constitution.
From September 24, 1993 through October 7, 2004, Norodom Sihanouk
reigned as King, after having previously served in a number of offices (including King) since 1941. Under the Constitution, the King has no political power, but as Norodom Sihanouk was revered in the country, his word often carried much influence in the government. For example, in February 2004, he issued a proclamation stating that since Cambodia is a "liberal democracy," the Kingdom ought to allow gay marriage. While such views aren't prevalent in Cambodia, his word was respected by his subjects. The King, often irritated over the conflicts in his government, several times threatened to abdicate unless the political factions in the government got along. This put pressure on the government to solve their differences. This influence of the King was often used to help mediate differences in government.
After the abdication of King Norodom Sihanouk in 2004, he was succeeded by his son Norodom Sihamoni
. While the retired King is highly revered in his country for dedicating his lifetime to Cambodia, the current King has spent most of his life abroad in France
. Thus, it remains to be seen whether the new King's views will be as highly respected as his father's.
Although in the Khmer language
there are many words meaning "king", the word officially used in Khmer (as found in the 1993 Cambodian Constitution) is preahmâhaksat (Khmer regular script:
), which literally means: preah- ("sacred", cognate of the Indian word Brahmin
) -mâha- (from Sanskrit
, meaning "great", cognate with "maha-" in maharaja
) -ksat ("warrior, ruler", cognate of the Indian word Kshatriya
).
On the occasion of HM King Norodom Sihanouk's retirement in September 2004, the Cambodian National Assembly coined a new word for the retired king: preahmâhaviraksat (Khmer regular script:
), where vira comes from Sanskrit vīra, meaning "brave or eminent man, hero, chief", cognate of Latin
vir, viris, English
virile. Preahmâhaviraksat is translated in English as "King-Father" , although the word "father" does not appear in the Khmer noun.
As preahmâhaviraksat, Norodom Sihanouk retains many of the prerogatives he formerly held as preahmâhaksat and is a highly respected and listened-to figure. Thus, in effect, Cambodia can be described as a country with two Kings: the one who is the Head of State, the preahmâhaksat Norodom Sihamoni, and the one who is not the Head of State, the preahmâhaviraksat Norodom Sihanouk.
and the King is not allowed to select his own heir. Instead, a new King is chosen by a Royal Council of the Throne, consisting of the president of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister, the Chiefs of the orders of Mohanikay and Thammayut, and the First and Second Vice-President of the Assembly. The Royal Council meets within a week of the King's death or abdication and selects a new King from a pool of candidates with royal blood.
It has been suggested that Cambodia's ability to peacefully appoint a new King shows that Cambodia's government has stabilized incredibly from the situation the country was in during the 1970s (see History of Cambodia
).
, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC
, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), International Monetary Fund
, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN
, UNCTAD, UNESCO
, UNIDO, UPU, WB
, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Since 2002, commune-level governments (commune council
s) have been composed of members directly elected by commune residents every five years.
In practice, the allocation of responsibilities between various levels of government is uncertain. This uncertainty has created additional opportunities for corruption and increased costs for investors.
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
, whereby the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Cambodia
The Prime Minister of Cambodia , is the head of government of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Prime Minister is appointed by the King under Article 119 of the Constitution and is responsible for leading the government of the Kingdom.-Constitutional powers:The powers of the Prime Minister are established...
is the head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
and a Monarch
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
is head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
. The kingdom formally takes place according to the nation's constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
(enacted in 1993) in a framework of a parliamentary
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
, representative democracy
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
. Executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of parliament, the National Assembly
National Assembly of Cambodia
The National Assembly of Cambodia or Radhsphea is the lower house of the Parliament of Cambodia.It has 123 members, elected for five year terms by proportional representation, using provinces as constituencies of 1 to 18 members, and the D'Hondt method of seat distribution.-Elections:Summary of the...
and the Senate
Senate of Cambodia
The Senate of Cambodia is the upper house of the Parliament of Cambodia.According to the , The Senate is a body that has legislative power and performs its duties as determined in the constitution and law. The Senate consists of 58 members that the number of which does not exceed half of all of...
Executive branch
|KingKing of Cambodia
The King of Cambodia is the head of state of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The King's power is limited to that of a symbolic figurehead to whom people are to give love and respect...
|Norodom Sihamoni
Norodom Sihamoni
Norodom Sihamoni is the current reigning King of Cambodia. He is the eldest son of Norodom Sihanouk and Norodom Monineath Sihanouk. Previously Cambodia's ambassador to UNESCO, he was named by a nine-member throne council to become the next king after his father Norodom Sihanouk abdicated in 2004...
|
|14 October 2004
|-
|Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Cambodia
The Prime Minister of Cambodia , is the head of government of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Prime Minister is appointed by the King under Article 119 of the Constitution and is responsible for leading the government of the Kingdom.-Constitutional powers:The powers of the Prime Minister are established...
|Hun Sen
Hun Sen
Hun Sen is the current Prime Minister of Cambodia.He has been the sole leader of the Cambodian People's Party , which has governed Cambodia since the Vietnamese-backed overthrow of the Khmer Rouge in 1979...
|CPP
Cambodian People's Party
The Cambodian People's Party is the current ruling party of Cambodia.This party was formerly known as Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party...
|1985
|}
The Prime Minister of Cambodia
Prime Minister of Cambodia
The Prime Minister of Cambodia , is the head of government of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Prime Minister is appointed by the King under Article 119 of the Constitution and is responsible for leading the government of the Kingdom.-Constitutional powers:The powers of the Prime Minister are established...
is a representative from the ruling party of the National Assembly. He or she is appointed by the King on the recommendation of the President and Vice Presidents of the National Assembly. In order for a person to become Prime Minister, he or she must first be given a vote of confidence by the National Assembly.
The Prime Minister is officially the Head of Government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
in Cambodia. Upon entry into office, he or she appoints a Council of Ministers who are responsible to the Prime Minister. Officially, the Prime Minister's duties include chairing meetings of the Council of Ministers (Cambodia's version of a Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
) and appointing and leading a government. The Prime Minister and his government make up Cambodia's executive branch
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
of government.
The current Prime Minister is Cambodian People's Party
Cambodian People's Party
The Cambodian People's Party is the current ruling party of Cambodia.This party was formerly known as Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party...
(CPP) member Hun Sen
Hun Sen
Hun Sen is the current Prime Minister of Cambodia.He has been the sole leader of the Cambodian People's Party , which has governed Cambodia since the Vietnamese-backed overthrow of the Khmer Rouge in 1979...
. He has held this position since the criticized 1998 election, one year after the CPP staged a bloody coup
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in Phnom Penh to overthrow elected Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh
Norodom Ranariddh
Prince Norodom Ranariddh is the second son of former king Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia and a half brother of the current king, Norodom Sihamoni.-Biography:...
, president of the FUNCINPEC
Funcinpec
FUNCINPEC is a royalist political party in Cambodia. Before the 2008 election, FUNCINPEC and the Cambodian People's Party formed a coalition government, although FUNCINPEC's significance has decreased steadily since 1998, when it had an equal relationship with the CPP in the coalition.FUNCINPEC is...
party.
Legislative branch
The legislative branchLegislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
of the Cambodian government is made up of a bicameral parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
.
- The National AssemblyNational Assembly of CambodiaThe National Assembly of Cambodia or Radhsphea is the lower house of the Parliament of Cambodia.It has 123 members, elected for five year terms by proportional representation, using provinces as constituencies of 1 to 18 members, and the D'Hondt method of seat distribution.-Elections:Summary of the...
(Radhsaphea) has 123 members, elected for a five-year term by proportional representationProportional representationProportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
. - The SenateSenate of CambodiaThe Senate of Cambodia is the upper house of the Parliament of Cambodia.According to the , The Senate is a body that has legislative power and performs its duties as determined in the constitution and law. The Senate consists of 58 members that the number of which does not exceed half of all of...
(Protsaphea) has 61 members. Two of these members are appointed by the King, two are elected by the lower house of the government, and the remaining fifty-seven are elected popularly by "functional constituencies." Members in this house serve a six-year term.
The official duty of the Parliament is to legislate and make laws. Bills passed by the Parliament are given to the King who gives the proposed bills Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
. The King does not have veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
power over bills passed by the National Assembly and thus, cannot withhold Royal Assent. The National Assembly also has the power to dismiss the Prime Minister and his government by a two-thirds vote of no confidence.
Senate
The upper house of the Cambodian legislature is called the Senate. It consists of sixty-one members. Two of these members are appointed by the King, two are elected by the lower house of the government, and the remaining fifty-seven are elected popularly by electors from provincial and local governments, in a similar fashion to the Senate of France. Members in this house serve six year term.Elections were last held for the Senate in 1999. New elections were supposed to have occurred in 2004, but these elections were initially postponed. On January 22, 2006, 11,352 possible voters went to the poll and chose their candidates. This election was criticized by local monitoring non-governmental organizations as being undemocratic http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4638406.stm.
, the Cambodian People's Party
Cambodian People's Party
The Cambodian People's Party is the current ruling party of Cambodia.This party was formerly known as Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party...
holds forty-three seats in the Senate, constituting a significant majority. The two other major parties holding seats in the Senate are the Funcinpec
Funcinpec
FUNCINPEC is a royalist political party in Cambodia. Before the 2008 election, FUNCINPEC and the Cambodian People's Party formed a coalition government, although FUNCINPEC's significance has decreased steadily since 1998, when it had an equal relationship with the CPP in the coalition.FUNCINPEC is...
party (holding twelve seats) and the Sam Rainsy Party
Sam Rainsy Party
The Sam Rainsy Party is a personalist and more or less liberal party in Cambodia. The party is a member of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats...
(holding two seats).
National Assembly
The lower house of the legislature is called the National Assembly. It is made up of 123 members, elected by popular vote to serve a five-year term. Elections were last held for the National Assembly in July 2008.In order to vote in legislative elections, one must be at least eighteen years of age. However, in order to be elected to the Legislature, one must be at least twenty-five years of age.
The National Assembly is led by a President and two Vice Presidents who are selected by Assembly members prior to each session.
, the Cambodian People's Party
Cambodian People's Party
The Cambodian People's Party is the current ruling party of Cambodia.This party was formerly known as Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party...
holds a majority of the seats in the National Assembly, controlling 90 out of the 123 seats. The Sam Rainsy Party
Sam Rainsy Party
The Sam Rainsy Party is a personalist and more or less liberal party in Cambodia. The party is a member of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats...
holds 26 seats and other parties hold the other 7 seats.
Political parties and elections
Summary of the 27 July 2008 National AssemblyNational Assembly
National Assembly is either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. The best known National Assembly, and the first legislature to be known by this title, was that established during the French Revolution in 1789, known as the Assemblée nationale...
election results
Cambodian parliamentary election, 2008
A parliamentary election was held in Cambodia on 27 July 2008.Prime Minister Hun Sen announced the planned date of the election on 30 May 2007, saying that the date of 27 July 2008 had been decided on because it was a holiday and because it fell exactly five years after the last election...
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Party
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right colspan=2|%
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right colspan=2|Seats
|-
|align=left|Cambodian People's Party
Cambodian People's Party
The Cambodian People's Party is the current ruling party of Cambodia.This party was formerly known as Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party...
|3,492,374
|58.1%
|
|90
|-
|align=left|Sam Rainsy Party
Sam Rainsy Party
The Sam Rainsy Party is a personalist and more or less liberal party in Cambodia. The party is a member of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats...
|1,316,714
|21.9%
|
|26
|-
|align=left|Human Rights Party
Human Rights Party (Cambodia)
The Human Rights Party is a Cambodian political party founded on 22 July 2007 led by Kem Sokha. Critics allege that its foundation is meant to weaken opposition parties and is driven by the ruling party...
|397,816
|6.62%
|
|3
|-
|align=left|Norodom Ranariddh Party
Norodom Ranariddh Party
The Norodom Ranariddh Party is a Cambodian political party created by Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who has left the Royalist FUNCINPEC party of which he was previously leader/chairman....
|337,943
|5.62%
|
|2
|-
|align=left|FUNCINPEC
|303,764
|5.05%
|
|2
|-
|align=left|League for Democracy
League for Democracy Party
The League for Democracy Party is a Cambodian political party that was established in March 2006. Its leader is president Khem Veasna.-Political ideologies:...
|68,909
|1.15%
|
|—
|-
|align=left|Khmer Democratic Party
Khmer Democratic Party
The Khmer Democratic Party is a Cambodian third political party-Political ideology:This political party supports the belief that while illegal immigrants and even those ‘’from Vietnam’’ who ‘’take jobs from Cambodians’’ are destructive to Cambodia...
|32,386
|0.54%
|
|—
|-
|align=left|Democratic Movement Party
Hang Dara Democratic Movement Party
The Hang Dara Democratic Movement Party is a Cambodian political party whose leader was Hang Dara. It was created in May 2002.-Political ideologies:...
|25,065
|0.42%
|
|—
|-
|align=left|Society of Justice Party
Society of Justice Party
Society of Justice Party is a political party in Cambodia, whose president is Ban Sophal.-Political Ideology:Its political ideology combines various ideas from “democracy” to others...
|14,112
|0.23%
|
|—
|-
|align=left|Khmer Republican Party
Khmer Republican Party
This is a political party recently created on March 11th 2006 and competed in the July 27th 2008 elections with their leader Lon Rith as their candidate-Ideology:...
|11,693
|0.19%
|
|—
|-
|align=left|Khmer Anti-Poverty Party
Khmer Anti-Poverty Party
The Khmer Anti-Poverty Party is a Cambodian political party founded in September 2007. Its leader is Cambodian-American Daran Kravanh.-Political ideology:...
|9,501
|0.16%
|
|—
|-
|align=left colspan="1" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total (turnout 81.5%)
|align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|6,010,277
|align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" colspan=2|
|align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" colspan=2|123
|-
|colspan=5|Source: www.necelect.org.kh
|}
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature or parliament. There have been many such bodies in history, since senate means the assembly of the eldest and wiser members of the society and ruling class...
election results
Senate of Cambodia
The Senate of Cambodia is the upper house of the Parliament of Cambodia.According to the , The Senate is a body that has legislative power and performs its duties as determined in the constitution and law. The Senate consists of 58 members that the number of which does not exceed half of all of...
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Party
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right colspan=2|%
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right colspan=2|Seats
|-
|align=left|Cambodian People's Party
Cambodian People's Party
The Cambodian People's Party is the current ruling party of Cambodia.This party was formerly known as Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party...
|7,854
|69.19%
|
|43
|-
|align=left|FUNCINPEC
Funcinpec
FUNCINPEC is a royalist political party in Cambodia. Before the 2008 election, FUNCINPEC and the Cambodian People's Party formed a coalition government, although FUNCINPEC's significance has decreased steadily since 1998, when it had an equal relationship with the CPP in the coalition.FUNCINPEC is...
|2,320
|20.44%
|
|9
|-
|align=left|Sam Rainsy Party
Sam Rainsy Party
The Sam Rainsy Party is a personalist and more or less liberal party in Cambodia. The party is a member of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats...
|1,165
|10.26%
|
|2
|-
|align=left colspan="1" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total (turnout 99.89%)
|align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|11,352
|align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" colspan=2|
|align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" colspan=2|54
|-
|colspan=5|Source: www.necelect.org.kh
|}
Sources:
List of Senators
Judicial branch
The judicial branchJudiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
is independent from the rest of the government, as specified by the Cambodian Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
. The highest court of judicial branch is the Supreme Council of the Magistracy. Other, lower courts also exist. Until 1997, Cambodia didn't have a judicial branch of government despite the nation's Constitution requiring one.
The main duties of the judiciary are to prosecute criminals, settle lawsuits, and, most importantly, protect the freedoms and rights of Cambodian citizens. However, in reality, the judicial branch in Cambodia is highly corrupt and often serves as a tool of the executive branch to silence civil society and its leaders http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/01/18/cambod12269.htm.
Monarchy
Cambodia is a constitutional monarchyConstitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
, i.e. the King reigns but does not rule, in similar fashion to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. The King is officially the Head of State
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and is the symbol of unity and "eternity" of the nation, as defined by Cambodia's constitution.
From September 24, 1993 through October 7, 2004, Norodom Sihanouk
Norodom Sihanouk
Norodom Sihanouk regular script was the King of Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his semi-retirement and voluntary abdication on 7 October 2004 in favor of his son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni...
reigned as King, after having previously served in a number of offices (including King) since 1941. Under the Constitution, the King has no political power, but as Norodom Sihanouk was revered in the country, his word often carried much influence in the government. For example, in February 2004, he issued a proclamation stating that since Cambodia is a "liberal democracy," the Kingdom ought to allow gay marriage. While such views aren't prevalent in Cambodia, his word was respected by his subjects. The King, often irritated over the conflicts in his government, several times threatened to abdicate unless the political factions in the government got along. This put pressure on the government to solve their differences. This influence of the King was often used to help mediate differences in government.
After the abdication of King Norodom Sihanouk in 2004, he was succeeded by his son Norodom Sihamoni
Norodom Sihamoni
Norodom Sihamoni is the current reigning King of Cambodia. He is the eldest son of Norodom Sihanouk and Norodom Monineath Sihanouk. Previously Cambodia's ambassador to UNESCO, he was named by a nine-member throne council to become the next king after his father Norodom Sihanouk abdicated in 2004...
. While the retired King is highly revered in his country for dedicating his lifetime to Cambodia, the current King has spent most of his life abroad in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Thus, it remains to be seen whether the new King's views will be as highly respected as his father's.
Although in the Khmer language
Khmer language
Khmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious...
there are many words meaning "king", the word officially used in Khmer (as found in the 1993 Cambodian Constitution) is preahmâhaksat (Khmer regular script:
), which literally means: preah- ("sacred", cognate of the Indian word BrahminBrahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
) -mâha- (from Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, meaning "great", cognate with "maha-" in maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
) -ksat ("warrior, ruler", cognate of the Indian word Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
).
On the occasion of HM King Norodom Sihanouk's retirement in September 2004, the Cambodian National Assembly coined a new word for the retired king: preahmâhaviraksat (Khmer regular script:
), where vira comes from Sanskrit vīra, meaning "brave or eminent man, hero, chief", cognate of LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
vir, viris, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
virile. Preahmâhaviraksat is translated in English as "King-Father" , although the word "father" does not appear in the Khmer noun.
As preahmâhaviraksat, Norodom Sihanouk retains many of the prerogatives he formerly held as preahmâhaksat and is a highly respected and listened-to figure. Thus, in effect, Cambodia can be described as a country with two Kings: the one who is the Head of State, the preahmâhaksat Norodom Sihamoni, and the one who is not the Head of State, the preahmâhaviraksat Norodom Sihanouk.
Succession to the Throne
Unlike most monarchies, Cambodia's monarchy isn't necessarily hereditaryHereditary monarchy
A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family...
and the King is not allowed to select his own heir. Instead, a new King is chosen by a Royal Council of the Throne, consisting of the president of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister, the Chiefs of the orders of Mohanikay and Thammayut, and the First and Second Vice-President of the Assembly. The Royal Council meets within a week of the King's death or abdication and selects a new King from a pool of candidates with royal blood.
It has been suggested that Cambodia's ability to peacefully appoint a new King shows that Cambodia's government has stabilized incredibly from the situation the country was in during the 1970s (see History of Cambodia
History of Cambodia
- Prehistory and early history :Carbon 14 dating of a cave at Laang Spean in northwest Cambodia reveals people who made pots were living in Cambodia as early as 4200 BCE . Further archaeological evidence indicates that other parts of the region now called Cambodia were inhabited from around...
).
International organization participation
ACCT, AsDBAsian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 22 August 1966 to facilitate economic development of countries in Asia...
, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, UNCTAD, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, UNIDO, UPU, WB
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Provincial and local governments
Below the central government are 24 provincial and municipal administration. (In rural areas, first-level administrative divisions are called provinces; in urban areas, they are called municipalities.) The administrations are a part of the Ministry of the Interior and their members are appointed by the central government. Provincial and municipal administrations participate in the creation of nation budget; they also issue land titles and license businesses.Since 2002, commune-level governments (commune council
Commune council
There are 1,621 Communes/Sangkats in Cambodia. Each Commune Council is composed of 5 to 11 members depending on demography and geography, elected through a proportional system where nationally registered political parties can compete by presenting a list of candidates of at least twice the number...
s) have been composed of members directly elected by commune residents every five years.
In practice, the allocation of responsibilities between various levels of government is uncertain. This uncertainty has created additional opportunities for corruption and increased costs for investors.
External links
- Cambodia Human Rights Portal (Sithi)
- Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)
- Global Integrity Report: Cambodia reports on corruption and anti-corruption in Cambodia
Royalty
- King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihamoni Official Website of King Norodom Sihamoni
- King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk Official Website of former King Norodom Sihanouk
Official
- Cambodia.gov.kh Official Royal Government of Cambodia Website (English Version) (Cambodia.gov.kh Khmer Version)
- CDC Council for the Development of Cambodia
- Conseil Constitutionnel du Cambodge Constitution council of Cambodia
- Department of Fisheries
- Food Security and Nutrition Information System Cambodia
- Ministry of Commerce
- Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts
- Ministry of Economy and Finance
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport
- Ministry of Environment
- Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications
- Ministry of Public Works and Transport
- Ministry of Tourism
- NiDA National Information Communications Technology Development Authority
- Ministry of Planning
- NIS National Institute of Statistics of Cambodia
Other
- Constitution of Cambodia
- "Cambodia's Neoliberal Order: Violence, Authoritarianism, and the Contestation of Public Space " by Simon Springer, Department of Geography, National University of Singapore.