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Cambodia Page |
Welcome to ElectionInfo.com's pages on Cambodia
Official Name: Kingdom of Cambodia
Capital: Phnom Penh
Area: 181,040 square kilometres ( 69,900 square miles )
Major cities (Population)
Phnom Penh 369,000 (1990 estimate)
Battambang 94,412 (1990 estimate)
Population: 10,251,000 (1995 estimate)
Population growth rate: 3 per cent (1990-1995 average)
Type of government: Multi-party liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy established in September 1993.
Independence: 9 November 1953 (from France)
Constitution: 24 September 1993
Voting Rights: Universal at age 18
Government
Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy. King Sihanouk is head of state, and the two prime ministers head the government. The prime ministers attend to the daily tasks of government, and the king is deeply involved in matters such as dealing with the Khmer Rouge. The National Assembly has 120 members. Further changes in the structure of government are expected as part of the process of political transition and in order to resolve the conflict with the Khmer Rouge.
Recent History
Present-day Cambodia was colonized by France in the 1860s and remained under French control (except when it was occupied by Japan during World War II) until 1953, when it was granted independence. During the post-independence period Prince Norodom Sihanouk was the dominant figure in Cambodian politics, until he was deposed in 1970 by General Lon Nol, who was backed by the United States. When the US withdrew from Southeast Asia in 1975, the Khmer Rouge, a Communist faction headed by Pol Pot, took control of the country and began a violent, forced restructuring aimed at returning the country to an agrarian communal society. Sihanouk was reinstalled as the nominal head of state, but he resigned in 1976. During the Khmer Rouge’s four-year rule, more than 1 million Cambodians and ethnic minorities were killed or died of starvation and disease. The educated and business classes were all but eliminated. The economy was destroyed.
In response to the Khmer Rouge’s slaughter of Vietnamese living in Cambodia and repeated attacks on villages in Vietnamese territory, Vietnam invaded Cambodia in December 1978. Pol Pot fled, and a government loyal to Vietnam was installed with Heng Samrin as president. Hun Sen was later named prime minister. For the next ten years Vietnamese troops attempted to defeat anti-government guerrilla forces. In 1989 Vietnam, tired of the struggle, withdrew from Cambodia. The United Nations (UN) had refused to recognize the Hun Sen government. Instead, a coalition of three guerrilla groups (Khmer Rouge, Khmer People’s National Liberation Front, and supporters of Prince Sihanouk) was recognized as a government in exile (as the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea). Although tentative peace talks between the government and the three guerrilla groups had begun in 1988, little progress was made until 1990, when the US and other nations withdrew their support for the guerrilla coalition. In August 1990 all four parties agreed to adopt a UN plan that created a Supreme National Council (SNC) as an interim government. The UN sent troops and other personnel to take over the country’s administration and organize national elections. Prince Sihanouk returned to Cambodia as head of the SNC and was immediately accepted by most Cambodians as the only person capable of establishing peace. The UN began registering voters in 1992 for elections in May 1993. Violence between the government, Sihanouk’s supporters, and the Khmer Rouge frequently threatened to halt the peace process. The Khmer Rouge eventually refused to participate in the electoral process.
Nevertheless, elections took place in May and were peaceful, free, and fair. However, when Hun Sen’s government realized it was losing to the Royalist opposition (loyal to Sihanouk), it threatened to reject the results. Sihanouk, who was not a formal candidate or party leader, stepped in to create a coalition government. After several attempts, he worked out an agreement in June 1993 that created a co-presidency between his son, Prince Ranariddh, and Hun Sen. The newly elected National Assembly approved a new constitution that provided for Sihanouk’s return to power as King of Cambodia. He was crowned in September 1993. After ratifying the new constitution, he named the crown prince, Norodom Ranariddh, as first prime minister and Hun Sen became second prime minister. This continued the compromise agreement worked out in June.
The political situation remains uncertain—in 1994, government and Khmer Rouge troops were involved in a series of battles over rebel-held territory, and talks held in June between the two sides broke down within a short time. The return of King Sihanouk has raised people’s hopes of peace and a better life. In spite of rumours of Pol Pot’s capture in 1997, the Khmer Rouge continues to fight. Legacies of the war, such as, the thousands of Khmer refugees who continue to languish in Thai border camps, and the ever-present danger of land mines which the Khmer Rouge continue to use, further hinder national renewal.
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