Cambodia is a one-party dominant state with the Cambodian People's Party in power. Cambodia's legislature is chosen through a national election. The general election is held every five years in the fourth Sunday of July. The Parliament of Cambodia has two chambers. The National Assembly ( ) has 125 members, each elected for a five-year term by proportional representation. The Senate ( ) has 62 members, mostly indirectly elected.

Since the signing of the 1991 Paris Peace Accords ending decades of civil wars and foreign occupation, and with the final elimination in 1998 of armed insurgency groups inside the country, six national elections have taken place in Cambodia. The first national elections were 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 Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP; party banned in 2017). 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.Country Assessment Strategy (CAS) for the Kingdom of Cambodia, World Bank, April 18, 2005.

In early 2006 the CPP further consolidated its hold on power by passing an amendment to the constitution through Parliament 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.

Electoral registration

Entitlement to vote According to Article 34 of the Cambodian constitution, all Cambodian citizens aged 18 are eligible to vote.

However, Cambodian elections come in the form of both direct and indirect elections. Which will determine which individuals are eligible to vote in each respective election. +Election Type of ElectionVoting Eligibility for CitizensNational Assembly Direct All Cambodian citizens aged 18 or higher.Communal DirectSenate Indirect Commune chiefs Commune councilorsMunicipal Indirect

Electoral register Registered voters since 1993YearNumber of people+/-19934,764,618 -19985,395,595 13.20%20025,190,307 3.80%20036,341,834 18.15%20077,799,371 18.68%20088,125,529 4.01%20129,203,493 11.71%20139,675,453 4.87%20177,865,033 18.71%20188,380,217 6.14%20229,205,681 8.96%20239,710,645 5.20%

Electoral system

National Assembly All 125 members of the National Assembly are directly elected every 5 years via a closed list proportional representation through 25 multi-member constituencies which follow the boundaries of the provinces of Cambodia. Seats are allocated to parties under the d'Hondt method.

Senate 58 of the 62 members of the Senate are elected indirectly by commune chiefs and councilors. This election is conducted every five years via an indirect party-list proportional representation through eight multi-member constituencies, which consist of multiple provinces merged into a region. Seats are allocated to parties based on vote share using the D'Hondt method.

In addition, four seats are appointed, two by the monarch and two by the National Assembly. RegionsProvincesSeatsRegion 1Phnom Penh6Region 2Kampong Cham, Tboung Khmum8Region 3Kandal5Region 4Banteay Meachey, Battambang, Siem Reap, Pailin, Oddar Meanchey10Region 5Kampot, Kep, Takeo7Region 6Prey Veng, Svay Rieng7Region 7Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Preah Sihanouk, Koh Kong, Pursat9Region 8Kampong Thom, Preah Vihear, Kratie, Strung Treng, Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri6

Communal

Commune Chiefs All commune chiefs are elected by first past the post, where a simple plurality in a single round of voting is needed to win.

Commune Councilors Under Sub-Decree 107, communes are limited to the following number of councillors per commune only, where the decision the size of the council is to be decided by "geographical and demographic factors" according to the National Election Committee (NEC). Where the council is elected using closed list proportional representation, under the d'Hondt method. However, if a party obtains 2/3rds of the vote share, all deputy chief seats are awarded automatically to the respective party. +Number of possible seat allocations in commune councils57911 As of the 2027 election, there are currently 1,652 commune chiefs and 11,622 commune councilors respectively.

Latest elections National Assembly

Senate

Communal

Elections (since 1993) General election

Communal elections

Senate election

See also List of political parties in Cambodia Electoral calendar Electoral system Freedom of expression and assembly in Cambodia Internet censorship in Cambodia

Notes

References

External links National Election Committee (NEC) 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