2003 Cambodian general election

none Cambodia 27 July 2003 1998 2008 All 123 seats in the National Assembly 62 83.22% ( 10.52pp) Cambodian People's Party Chea SimHun Sen was the CPP's official prime ministerial candidate and leading figure throughout the campaign. 47.35 73 64 FUNCINPEC Norodom Ranariddh 20.75 26 43 Sam Rainsy Party Sam Rainsy 21.87 24 19 500px Results by provinces Prime Minister Hun Sen Cambodian People's Party Prime Minister after Hun Sen Cambodian People's Party General elections were held in Cambodia on 27 July 2003 to elect members of the National Assembly. The elections were won by the ruling Cambodian People's Party, which won a majority of 73 seats in the 123-seat parliament. However, due to the requirement for a two-thirds majority to elect a Prime Minister, a new government was not formed until July 2004 when a deal was reached with the FUNCINPEC party. Hun Sen was subsequently re-elected the post of Prime Minister. Background Cambodia became a democracy in the early 1990s with the first democratic elections held in 1993. Amy Kazmin Powell call over Cambodian poll media US OFFICIAL'S VISIT: Financial Times 10 2003-06-20 After both elections during the 1990s the Cambodian People's Party formed coalition governments with the royalist FUNCINPEC party. The previous elections in 1998 saw significant violence and intimidation of opposition supporters. Asia: Limousines and poverty; Cambodia The Economist 62 2003-06-07 It took place a year after FUNCINPEC had been violently ousted from the coalition government by the Cambodian People's Party. Alex Spillius Hun Sen on his way to poll win in Cambodia The Daily Telegraph 12 2003-07-28 However following the election they once more formed a coalition with Hun Sen as Prime Minister and FUNCINPEC's leader Prince Norodom Ranarridh, the son of King Norodom Sihanouk, as his deputy. In local elections in 2002 the Cambodian People's Party performed strongly leading in 1,597 of the 1,621 communes of Cambodia. Asia: Stronger and stronger; Cambodia's election The Economist 59 2003-07-26 Meanwhile, FUNCINPEC suffered a setback dropping to only 22% of the vote. Campaign The run-up to the election saw some violence including the killing of a judge and a royalist politician, Ek Madra Senior Cambodian judge assassinated The Independent 16 2003-04-24 however it was much reduced from previous elections. John Aglionby Cambodia edges towards change The Guardian 17 2003-07-26 During the campaign the United States Secretary of State Colin Powell visited Cambodia, met all three main party leaders and called on all parties to have fair coverage in the media. The opposition were able to get some time on television during the campaign, but there were many reports in rural areas of voters being intimidated by the Cambodian People's Party. Amy Kazmin Dark threats likely to keep Cambodia's ruling party in power Financial Times 5 2003-07-26 In total 22 parties contested the election but only three were seen as real contenders in the election. https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3096627.stm Cambodia Election Guide 2009-05-27 2003-07-25 BBC Online The Cambodian People's Party had control of much of the media in Cambodia, the most money and a superior party machine. The party campaigned on the economic development they said that they were bringing to Cambodia and in the March before the election they announced a 1.5 billion dollar program to counter poverty. The party and their leader Hun Sen won support from voters due to their presiding over the most peaceful period in the countries recent history after ending the rule of the Khmer Rouge. The party had the strongest support in rural areas of Cambodia, but younger voters in urban areas were more desirous of change and therefore supportive of the opposition. Amy Kazmin Cambodia's disenchanted young grow restless for a brighter future: Many are fervently hoping for a new government when this Sunday the country goes to its first poll since 1998, Amy Kazmin reports Financial Times 9 2003-07-22 The two main opposition parties criticised the government of Hun Sen for its corruption and pledged to improve health and education in Cambodia. FUNCINPEC called for reform of the economy and for more foreign investment, but their leader, Norodom Ranariddh, was seen as being ineffective and his party's popularity was in decline. Meanwhile, the Sam Rainsy Party criticised corruption, pledged more money for health, education and civil servant pay and attempted to attract the poor. The party had grown in strength since the previous election but their leader Sam Rainsy was seen as being authoritarian. Results Voter turnout in the election was high with over 80% casting ballots. John Aglionby 80% turnout for Cambodian vote The Guardian 10 2003-07-28 The results saw the Cambodian People's Party win a clear majority of seats but fell short of the two-thirds majority required in order to elect a Prime Minister on their own. Amy Kazmin Opposition rejects Hun Sen victory claim CAMBODIAN ELECTIONS: Financial Times 9 2003-07-30 FUNCINPEC lost ground dropping from the 31% they had won in 1998 to only just over 20% this time, while the Sam Rainsy Party rose to 22% from 14% in 1998. Amy Kazmin Cambodian prime minister rejects calls to step down Financial Times 9 2003-07-31 File:Cambodian National Assembly composition, 2003-2008.svg Cambodian People's Party 2447259 73 +9 FUNCINPEC 1072313 26 –17 Sam Rainsy Party 1130423 24 +9 Khmer Democratic Party 95927 0 0 The Rice Party 76086 0 New Indra Buddra Party 62338 0 New Khmer Soul Party 56010 0 New Cambodian Development Party 36838 0 New Khmer Angkor Party 26385 0 0 Cambodian Women's Party 23538 0 New Khmer Front Party 20272 0 New Khmer Unity Party 18309 0 0 Hang Dara Democratic Movement Party 15671 0 New blue Khmer Spiritual Aspiration Party 14342 0 New Kon Khmer Party 14018 0 New Union of National Solidarity Party 11676 0 New Khmer Help Khmer 9482 0 New Farmer's Party 9449 0 New Molinaka and the Khmer Freedom Fighters Party 6808 0 0 Cambodian Free Independent Democratic Party 6806 0 New Khmer Citizens' Party 6526 0 0 National Khmer Party 4232 0 New Liberal Democratic Party 4129 0 0 108657 +1 6341834 IFES, EU Aftermath Following the election, FUNCINPEC and the Sam Rainsy Party refused to attend parliament and formed an "Alliance of Democrats" in order to block Hun Sen from being elected Prime Minister again. Asia: Deadlock; Cambodia; The Economist 66 2004-02-21 They rejected the official results and said that they had been manipulated by the Cambodian People's Party. After initially boycotting parliament the two parties were persuaded by the King to attend the swearing in at the end of September, but remained firm in rejecting joining a government led by Hun Sen. Amy Kazmin Cambodian parties boycott parliament over resignation call Financial Times 2 2003-09-29 However, despite no government being formed, a caretaker administration run by Hun Sen and the Cambodian People's Party was able to continue. A provisional agreement was said to have been reached in November on a three party government led by Hun Sen but the opposition later denied this. Personal dislike between the three parties and the opposition of the Cambodia People's Party to a three party government meant negotiations on forming a government dragged on into 2004. Eventually, 11 months after the election, towards the end of June 2004 the Cambodia People's Party and FUNCINPEC reached an agreement under which ministerial seats would be divided up 60-40 between them and Hun Sen would remain Prime Minister. Amy Kazmin Coalition deal in Cambodia ends 11-month post-election standoff Financial Times 2 2004-06-28 On the 15 July 2004 the Cambodian parliament finally approved the new government with 96 of the 123 members voting in favour. https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3895553.stm Cambodian parliament ends deadlock 2009-05-26 2004-07-15 BBC Online There was a significant increase in the number of ministers to 207, including 7 deputy prime ministers and 180 cabinet ministers, in order to reach agreement on the new government. https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3897897.stm Cambodian government faces uphill task 2009-05-27 2004-07-15 BBC Online See also 3rd National Assembly of Cambodia Notes Literature Sorpong Peou Consolidation or Crisis of Democracy?: Cambodia's Parliamentary Elections in 2003 and Beyond Between Consolidation and Crisis: Elections and Democracy in Five Nations in Southeast Asia Lit Berlin 2006 41–83 References Cambodia Parliamentary election Category:General elections in Cambodia Cambodia