General elections were held in Cambodia on 23 July 2023 to elect members of the National Assembly. The Cambodian People's Party (CPP) held all seats in parliament prior to the elections.
The result was a landslide victory for the CPP, which won 120 of the 125 seats. FUNCINPEC won the remaining five seats, its best result since 2003.
On 26 July 2023 Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that he would be stepping down following the formation of a new government, with his son Hun Manet taking over. The new parliament's first sitting was scheduled for 21 August 2023 while the new cabinet would be sworn in one day later on 22 August. Hun Manet was formally nominated by the King on 7 August while he and his cabinet were subject to a vote of confidence from the National Assembly on 22 August.
Background Hun Sen had been Prime Minister of Cambodia and its predecessor states (the People's Republic of Kampuchea and the State of Cambodia) since January 1985 (in acting capacity from December 1984). Since the 1997 coup d'état, he has consolidated power, resulting in authoritarian rule and culminating in the establishment of a de facto one-party system in 2018 after the Supreme Court of Cambodia, which was loyal to him, banned the largest opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party led by Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha.
Hun Sen was endorsed as the CPP's prime ministerial candidate for the 2023 election during the party's 43rd Congress. The Central Committee also unanimously approved Hun Manet, Hun Sen's son, as the party's future prime ministerial candidate after Hun Sen. Hun Sen had publicly vowed to stay on until after the 2028 election, though a transition of power to his son between 2023 and 2028 was not entirely ruled out. Despite some shortcomings, particularly during the large-scale outbreak in early 2021, the government was widely praised for its COVID-19 response, which initiated a successful vaccination program, with over 80% of the population fully vaccinated as of January 2022.
The 2022 communal elections, which resulted in an expected landslide for the CPP, were seen as a bellwether for the general election. Based on those results, the CPP internally projected that it would win 104 seats or 83.20%, and the Candlelight Party would win 21 seats or 16.80%. However, afterwards the spokesperson for the CPP Sok Eysan said that the CPP would be targeting 90% of seats (120).
On 15 May 2023, the Candlelight Party's registration was officially denied by the National Election Committee, meaning that they were disqualified from participating in the election. The reason given was a failure to submit proper registration documents, which the party said it would appeal.
Political ban on Kem Sokha On 3 March 2023, former Cambodia National Rescue Party president Kem Sokha was sentenced to 27 years in jail for allegedly conspiring with foreign powers to topple the government. The municipal court sentenced under Criminal Code sections 439 and 443, and excluded him from politics and elections under Article 450. Sokha was not immediately imprisoned, but was instead restricted to his house under court monitoring. The court verdict was condemned by human rights groups, the US embassy and UN Human Rights Commissioner.
Resignations in opposition parties
Cambodian Youth Party In February 2023, fifteen party members, including three senior members of the Cambodian Youth Party such as members of the standing committee Neou Bora, Huon Thearith, and its General Secretary Chhom Chanthorn, resigned. Party Leader Pich Sros was quoted saying, "The resignations of senior officials are not thing to worry about, and the party plans to register its participation and list of candidates with the NEC [for the 2023 election].
Candlelight Party Kong Korm, a senior advisor to Cambodia's Candlelight Party, resigned after authorities announced plans to pursue a lawsuit against him for comments he made in January condemning the seizure of his property. He apologized to Hun Sen and the CPP for motivating the party to file a lawsuit against him and said his association with the Candlelight Party was a mistake.
Hun Sen government Foreign policy During the Russo-Ukrainian War, Hun Sen and the government kept a neutral stance, though establishing more ties with Ukraine, where Hun Sen and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and sent deminers to train Ukrainian soldiers, and where Ukraine also showed plans of opening an embassy in Phnom Penh. Both sides have praised the Cambodian Government of maintaining its neutrality on the conflict.
Dismissals A royal decree signed by King Norodom Sihamoni removed Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhon from his position on 8 October 2022, with immediate effect. The decision was made at the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen. The government then designated Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmonirath as acting minister of agriculture in addition to his current ministry and duties. Later, the National Assembly approved Dith Tina as the new Minister of Agriculture.
On 24 August 2022, the Governor of Takhmao City was sacked from his post and reassigned to work in the Kandal Provincial Administration due to his "inactiveness" in dealing with clean water for residents.
Pursat On 21 November 2022, Khoy Rida was sworn into office as the provincial governor of Pursat by Interior Minister Sar Kheng, due to the last governor Cheav Tay having been transferred due to his deteriorating health.
Mount Kulen gathering Khem Veasna, president of the League for Democracy Party, issued an ultimatum to the huge gathering assembled at a farm house south of Kulen Mountain, who flocked to the home after hearing a "doomsday warning" from a local politician and believed the region to be a "safehaven". People have assembled at the location in response to a forecast made by a local politician that they need to do so in order to "survive a devastating flood in the country and world" (LDP). Authorities gave the ultimatum after observing the crowd grow from 15,000 to 20,000 people.
Governmental reaction
Provincial officials Teng Channat, the head of the provincial police in Siem Reap, warned that if Khem Veasna doesn't help dissolve the group by 30 August as he promised, the government will file a lawsuit.
The District Governor of Banteay Srei District in Siem Reap Province, Khim Finan, reported that since Saturday, officials had insisted that the gathering disband. Have speaking with the press, he added, “We are waiting to see whether the groups will disband since I’ve noticed that more people are gathering in and around his farm and also along the road to Kulen Mountain rather than leaving, which is really upsetting to witness”.
Siem Reap Provincial Governor Tea Seiha visited Khem Veasna's farm and asked him to disband the crowd.
National officials Hun Manith along with other officials also had gone down to the farm home where the event was taking place and requested Khem Veasna to disband the gatherings.
The property, which is roughly an hour's drive from Siem Reap, is being evacuated by army trucks and ambulances under orders from Prime Minister Hun Sen. According to Hun Sen, the authorities should make it simple for the people to leave the gathering and return home if they choose to do so. Hun Sen claimed that Khem Veasna, the League for Democracy Party's president who recently converted to religion and dubbed himself a Brahma, or celestial king, was pressuring him to use violence to disperse the rally and arrest him. “However, I advised the authorities not to fall into his trap; not to do anything. I will not use violence against him.” Hun Sen had also added, “Veasna cursed me harshly on Facebook, but I am not going to respond with anger. I'll find a peaceful solution for the sake of all people in the Kingdom, he is free to make any claim he wishes, his political career will be over once his supporters discover that he has been lying,” the Prime Minister added.
Electoral system The Constitution of Cambodia states the National Assembly are elected to 5-year terms from 25 multi-member constituencies based on the provinces by closed list proportional representation. Seats were allocated using the D'Hondt method and elections are to happen on the fourth Sunday of July.The number of seat allocation of provinces: ProvinceSeatsBanteay Meanchey6Battambang8Kampong Cham10Kampong Chhnang4Kampong Speu6Kampong Thom6Kampot6Kandal11Koh Kong1Kratié3Mondulkiri1Phnom Penh12Preah Vihear1Prey Veng11Pursat4Ratanakiri1Siem Reap6Preah Sihanouk3Stung Treng1Svay Rieng5Takéo9Oddar Meanchey1Kep1Pailin1Tboung Khmum8 Total 125
Parliamentary Composition ↓125 PartyLeaderNational AssemblyGovernment 2018 resultCurrent%SeatsCambodian People's PartyHun Sen76.85%
Voters All citizens aged 18 and older are eligible to vote. Voting is not mandatory. The NEC had fielded 9,710,645 registered voters for 2023, a rise of 504,964 more voters since the 2022 communal elections and a rise of 13.7% (1,330,428) since the 2018 general elections.
Demographics Registered voters by genderGenderNumber of people%Female5,161,90653.15%Male4,548,73946.85%Total9,710,645 100%Source: Khmer Times Growth trend of registered voters since 1993 Registered voters since 1993YearNumber of people+/-19934,764,618 100%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%
Election schedule DateEvent29 June 2022Date of election announced1 April–19 July 2023Registration of national and international observers24 April–8 May 2023Nomination process1–21 July 2023Election campaign period22 July 2023Election silence 23 July 2023Election day23–24 July 2023Preliminary results released 4 August 2023Official results released21 August 2023Parliament inaugurated22 August 2023New cabinet sworn inSource: Khmer Times
Contesting Parties
The National Election Committee scheduled 24 April to 8 May as the deadline for political parties to register and submit candidate lists for the National Election. The NEC stated that this application form would be offered free of charge to political parties interested in participating in the election and submitting a list of candidates. The forms had to have been signed by the political party's leader or a representative who had received written authorization from the party leader.
Approved Parties Ballot NumberPartyParty LeaderConstituencies ContestedSeats Contested1Beehive Social Democratic PartyMam Sonando2Khmer United PartyKuch Ly3Cambodian Nationality PartySeng Sokheng4Khmer National United PartyNhek Bun Chhay5Democracy Power PartyUn Visethkun6Farmer's PartyMeas Bovov7Women for Women PartySoeng Sothy8Khmer Anti-Poverty PartyDaran Kravanh9FUNCINPECNorodom Chakravuth10Dharmacracy PartyPothidey Savadey11Grassroots Democratic PartyYeng Virak12People Purpose PartyIth Sarum13Khmer Economic Development PartyHout Rathea14Ekpheap Cheat Khmer PartyUn Chim15Khmer Conservative PartyReal Camerin16Cambodian Youth PartyPich Sors17Cambodia Indigenous Peoples Democracy PartyBlang Sin18Cambodian People's PartyHun Sen
Disqualified parties The National Election Committee (NEC) declined to recognize the main opposition Candlelight Party and Khmer United Great Nation Party for the July general election because it did not meet all of the election law's requirements. This decision was later backed by the Constitutional Council. PartyParty LeaderConstituencies to be ContestedSeats to be ContestedCandlelight PartyTeav VannolKhmer United Great Nation PartyHeang Kemsroeun
Campaign Electoral debates