The politics of Cambodia are defined within the framework of a constitutional

monarchy, in which the king serves as the head of state, and the prime minister is
the head of government. In practice, Cambodia is an authoritarian state, as power
is centralized in the hands of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) under long-
standing leader Hun Sen.[1][2][3] Civil society groups, independent media and
opposition parties are repressed, and elections are not free and fair.[2]

The collapse of communism set in motion events that led to the withdrawal of the
Vietnamese armed forces, which had established their presence in the country since
the fall of the Khmer Rouge.[4] The 1993 constitution, which is currently in force,
was promulgated as a result of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements, followed by
elections organized under the aegis of the United Nations Transitional Authority in
Cambodia. The constitution declares Cambodia to be an "independent, sovereign,
peaceful, permanently neutral and non-aligned country."[5] The constitution also
proclaims a liberal, multiparty democracy in which powers are devolved to the
executive, the judiciary and the legislature. However, there is no effective
opposition to the Prime Minister Hun Sen, who had been in power from 1984 until
2023. His Cambodian People's Party won all 125 seats in the National Assembly in
2018 after the banning of opposition party CNRP and KNLF. KNLF became a main
opposition exiled in Denmark after CNRP was dissolved. During the communal election
in 2022 and the national election in 2023, there were no international observers.
The government is considered to be autocratic.[6]

Executive power is exercised by the Royal Government, on behalf of and with the
consent of the monarch. The government is constituted of the Council of Ministers,
headed by the prime minister. The prime minister is aided in his functions by
members of the Council such as deputy prime ministers, senior ministers and other
ministers. Legislative power is vested in a bicameral legislature composed of the
National Assembly, which has the power to vote on draft law, and the Senate, that
has the power of review. Upon passage of legislation through the two chambers, the
draft law is presented to the monarch for signing and promulgation. The judiciary
is tasked with the protection of rights and liberties of the citizens, and with
being an impartial arbiter of disputes. The Supreme Court is the highest court of
the country and takes appeals from lower courts on questions of law. A separate
body called the Constitutional Council was established to provide interpretations
of the constitution and the laws, and also to resolve disputes related to election
of members of the legislature.[7]

The Cambodian People's Party has dominated the political landscape since the 1997
coup d'état in Phnom Penh. Other prominent political parties include the royalist
FUNCINPEC and the erstwhile Cambodia National Rescue Party that was dissolved by
the Supreme Court in 2017. Comparative political scientists Steven Levitsky and
Lucan Way have described Cambodia as a "competitive authoritarian regime", a hybrid
regime type with important characteristics of both democracy and authoritarianism.
[8]

In July 2023 election, the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) easily won by a
landslide in flawed election, after disqualification of Cambodia's most important
opposition, Candlelight Party.[9] On 22 August 2023, Hun Manet, son of Hun Sen, was
sworn in as the new Cambodian prime minister.[10]

Legal framework
Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy with a unitary structure[11] and a
parliamentary form of government.[12] The constitution, which prescribes the
governing framework, was promulgated in September 1993 by the Constituent Assembly
that resulted from the 1993 general election conducted under the auspices of the
United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC). The assembly adopted the
basic principles and measures mandated under the Paris Peace Agreements into the
text of the constitution. Assimilated into the governing charter, these provisions
place the constitution as the supreme law of the land; declare Cambodia's status as
a sovereign, independent and neutral state; enshrine a liberal, multi-party
democracy with fair and periodic elections; guarantee respect for human rights; and
provide for an independent judiciary.[13]

The brutality of the Democratic Kampuchea regime had especially necessitated the
inclusion of provisions concerning human rights[14] in order to prevent a return to
the policies and practices of the past.[15] These criteria had been drawn from the
Namibian constitution drafting process that took place in 1982.[14] German
constitutional law scholar, Jörg Menzel, characterized these benchmarks as the
"necessary nucleus of a modern constitutional state."[16] The constitution further
sanctifies the status of international law in the issue of human rights by binding
Cambodia to "respect" the provisions of human rights treaties adopted by the UN.
[17] The 1993 constitution has been amended eight times since its passage – in
1994, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2014[18] and 2018.[19]

Separation of powers
The powers are devolved to three branches of the state: the legislature, the
executive and the judiciary, in recognition of the doctrine of separation of
powers. Political sovereignty rests with the Cambodian people, who exercise their
power through the three arms of the state. The Royal Government, which wields
executive power, is directly responsible to the National Assembly. The judiciary,
which is an independent power, is tasked with the protection of citizens' rights
and liberties.[20] Buddhism is proclaimed as the state religion.[21]

Influences on legal system

The legal system of Cambodia is civil law and has been strongly influenced by the
legal heritage of France as a consequence of colonial rule.[22] The Soviet-
Vietnamese system dominated the country from 1981 until 1989, and Sri Lankan jurist
Basil Fernando argues that its elements are present in the current system as well.
[23] The role of customary law, based on Buddhist beliefs and unwritten law drawn
from the Angkorean period, is also prevalent.[24][25]

Market economy
The constitution contains a commitment to the "market economy system", which along
with accompanying provisions effects a fundamental change in the role of the state
from the past.[26] Security of private property and the right to sell and exchange
freely, necessary conditions for the functioning of the market economy,[27] are
provided for. The state's powers of expropriation are limited to the extent they
serve public interest, to be exercised only when "fair and just" compensation is
made in advance.[28] Operating under the slogan Le Cambodge s'aide lui-même or
"Cambodia will help itself", one of the earliest undertakings of the Royal
Government was to implement programs to ensure the economic rehabilitation of
Cambodia and its integration in the regional and global economies. On 10 March
1994, the Royal Government declared an "irreversible and irrevocable" move away
from a centrally-planned economy towards a market-oriented economy.[26]

Monarchy
Further information: Monarchy of Cambodia and House of Norodom

King Norodom Sihamoni

Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy. The king is officially the head of state and
is the symbol of unity and "perpetuity" of the nation, as defined by Cambodia's
constitution.[29]

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. 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 was 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
preăhmôhaksăt (Khmer regular script: ព្រះមហាក្សត្រ), which literally means: preăh-
("excellent", cognate of the Pali word vara[30]) -môha- (from Sanskrit, meaning
"great", cognate with "maha-" in maharaja) -ksăt ("warrior, ruler", cognate of the
Sanskrit word kṣatrá[31]).

On the occasion of King Norodom Sihanouk's retirement in September 2004, the

Cambodian National Assembly coined a new word for the retired king:
preăhmôhavireăkksăt (Khmer regular script: ព្រះមហាវីរក្សត្រ), where vireăk comes
from Sanskrit vīra, meaning "brave or eminent man, hero, chief", cognate of Latin
vir, viris, English virile. Preăhmôhavireăkksăt is translated in English as "King-
Father" (French: Roi-Père), although the word "father" does not appear in the Khmer
noun.

As preăhmôhavireăkksăt, Norodom Sihanouk retained many of the prerogatives he

formerly held as preăhmôhaksăt and was a highly respected and listened-to figure.
Thus, in effect, Cambodia could be described as a country with two Kings during
Sihanouk's lifetime: the one who was the head of state, the preăhmôhaksăt Norodom
Sihamoni, and the one who was not the head of state, the preăhmôhavireăkksăt
Norodom Sihanouk.[citation needed]

Sihanouk died of a pulmonary infarction on October 15, 2012.

Succession to the throne

Unlike most monarchies, Cambodia's monarchy is not necessarily hereditary 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 president of the Senate, the first and second vice
presidents of the Senate, 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).

Executive branch
Further information: Prime Minister of Cambodia and Cabinet of Cambodia

Hun Manet – Incumbent Prime Minister

Seal of the Royal Government

The prime minister of Cambodia is a representative from the ruling party of the
National Assembly. The prime minister is appointed by the king on the
recommendation of the president and vice presidents of the National Assembly. The
prime minister must receive be given a vote of confidence by the National Assembly.
The prime minister is officially the head of government in Cambodia. The prime
minister appoints a Council of Ministers. 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 the
government make up Cambodia's executive branch of government.

The current prime minister is Cambodian People's Party (CPP) member Hun Manet. He
has held this position since 2023.

Result 1998 election, one year after the CPP staged a bloody coup in Phnom Penh[32]
[33] to overthrow elected Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh, president of the
FUNCINPEC party.

Legislative branch
Main article: Parliament of Cambodia
The legislative branch of the Cambodian government is made up of a bicameral
parliament.

The National Assembly (រដ្ឋសភា Rôdthsâphéa) has 125 members, elected for a five-
year term by proportional representation.
The Senate (ព្រឹទ្ធសភា Prœ̆tthsâphéa) 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. 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.