2008 Cambodian general election

2008 Cambodian general election

← 2003 27 July 2008 2013 →
← outgoing members elected members →
All 123 seats in the National Assembly 62 seats needed for a majority
Registered	8,125,529 28.1%
Turnout	6,100,884 (75.1%) 8.1%
First party Second party   Leader Hun Sen Sam Rainsy Party CPP SRP Leader since 14 January 1985 June 1995 Leader's seat Kandal Kampong Cham Last election 73 seats, 47.3% 24 seats, 21.9% Seats before 73 24 Seats won 90 26 Seat change 17 2 Popular vote 3,492,374 1,316,714 Percentage 58.1% 21.9% Swing 10.8%
Prime Minister before election Hun Sen CPP Elected Prime Minister Hun Sen CPP

Politics of Cambodia
show Monarchy King Norodom Sihamoni Throne Council House of Norodom House of Sisowath (1904–41)
show Government Prime Minister (list) Hun Sen Deputy Prime Ministers Sar Kheng Tea Banh Hor Namhong Men Sam An Bin Chhin Yim Chhaily Aun Pornmoniroth Prak Sokhonn Chea Sophara Council of Ministers
show Parliament Senate President: Say Chhum National Assembly President: Heng Samrin Members
show Elections National Election Committee Recent elections General: 2013 2018 Senate: 2012 2018 Communal: 2017 2022 Political parties
show Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister: Prak Sokhonn Diplomatic missions of / in Cambodia Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
show Administrative divisions Provinces Cities Districts Communes
show Related issues Human rights LGBT rights Cambodian–Thai border dispute 2013–2014 Cambodian protests
Cambodia portal Other countries
v t

Sam Rainsy Party campaign bus

General elections were held in Cambodia on 27 July 2008.^[1] The result was a victory for the ruling Cambodian People's Party, which won 90 of the 123 seats.

Background[]

Prime Minister Hun Sen announced the planned date of the elections 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 previous elections.^[1] While the ruling Cambodian People's Party was expected to retain its majority, FUNCINPEC was considered likely to fall behind the two major opposition parties, the Sam Rainsy Party and the Sangkum Jatiniyum Front Party.^{[citation needed]} The newly founded Human Rights Party was also expected to make an impact.

Campaign[]

By the deadline of 12 May 2008, only twelve parties had registered for the elections, only half of the 23 parties which contested the 2003 elections and a third of the 39 in the 1998 elections.^[2] Ten of those parties fielded candidates in all of Cambodia's 24 provinces and municipalities, while the remaining two fielded candidates in only nine and seven provinces, respectively.^[3] Ten parties were approved, one was asked to submit more documents and subsequently approved^[4] and one was denied registration.^[5]

In early July, the Khmer Anti-Poverty Party and the Society of Justice Party decided to form a political alliance, and the Khmer Republican Party also stated it was willing to make alliances.^[6]

Conduct[]

The EU observing mission stated that based on the provisional results, the lead of the CPP was so large that there would have to be very large-scale fraud in order to call the CPP's victory into question.^[7] They still criticised the disenfranchisement of a large number of voters, but lauded the improvement over the 2003 elections; on the whole, however, the election fell short of international standards.^[8]

Results[]

Preliminary results from CPP sources indicated that the CPP had won 58.3% of the vote and 91 seats, whilst the SRP had won 21.9% of the vote and 26 seats, with the Human Rights Party on three seats, the NRP on two and FUNCINPEC with one.^[9][10] NGOs and other supervising bodies stated that the distribution was more likely 70 for CPP and 50 for SRP.^[11]

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Cambodian People's Party	3,492,374	58.11	90	+17
	Sam Rainsy Party	1,316,714	21.91	26	+2
	Human Rights Party	397,816	6.62	3	New
	Norodom Ranariddh Party	337,943	5.62	2	New
	FUNCINPEC	303,764	5.05	2	–24
	League for Democracy Party	68,909	1.15	0	New
	Khmer Democratic Party	32,386	0.54	0	0
	Hang Dara Democratic Movement Party	25,065	0.42	0	0
	Society of Justice Party	14,112	0.23	0	New
	Khmer Republican Party	11,693	0.19	0	New
	Khmer Anti-Poverty Party	9,501	0.16	0	New
Total		6,010,277	100.00	123	0
Valid votes		6,010,277	98.51
Invalid/blank votes		90,607	1.49
Total votes		6,100,884	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		8,125,529	75.08
Source: COMFREL

Aftermath[]

Prime Minister Hun Sen claimed victory the day after the elections,^[12] The stand-off with Thailand over the Preah Vihear Temple was widely seen as a successful attempt of the ruling CPP to garner more support.^[13][14] Analysts expected the CPP to increase its majority; as the constitution was amended to remove the need for a two-thirds majority to govern, requiring the more common simple majority instead, it was considered likely that the CPP would be able to govern without a coalition partner.^[15]

The CPP announced it would retain its coalition with the severely diminished FUNCINPEC, but ordered its leaders Keo Puth Rasmey and his wife Princess Arun Rasmey to stand down and let army general Nhek Bun Chhay take over; he would be the first non-royal to lead FUNCINPEC.^[16]

The SRP, HRP and NRP threatened to boycott the first parliamentary session unless the irregularities were investigated; the PM replied that in that case, the opposition's seats would be redistributed between CPP and FUNCINPEC.^[17]

References[]