Candidates from 18 parties will be on the ballot in the national election on July 23, although international observers and humanrights groups have widely criticized the election for lacking a fair electoral process and for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) having no serious competition.
In the 2022 commune elections, all of the minority parties collectively, excluding the Candlelight Party, received less than 4% of the vote. The Candlelight party won about 22% of the popular vote, but was disqualified from this year’s general election in May.
“As far as I can see, it can be concluded that almost 100% of the victory has already gone to the ruling party,” said political analyst Meas Nee. “Because we do not see any party that can have the strength to compete with the ruling party.”
He added that while the large number of parties running in the election may make the race appear like a multi-party election, there is no significant political competition, likening the current state of Cambodia to communist countries. National Election Committee registrations show that most of the national election observers are associated with the ruling party.
The parties participating in the election have, however, offered a variety of campaign promises and policies to voters, including expanding access to affordable healthcare, reforming the court system and increasing the minimum wage. Here’s a look at the 18 parties with candidates in the upcoming election, in order of their position on the ballot, along with some of their policy priorities.
Beehive Social Democratic Party (Ballot Position #1)
The Beehive Social Democratic Party will prioritize creating a social affairs fund that will focus on development and helping impoverished people, its president Mam Sonando told BTV News Cambodia.
Khmer United Party (Ballot Position #2)
The Khmer United Party has pledged to provide 260,000 riel per month for older people. The party also wants to increase the salaries of doctors and strengthen ethics and professionalism in the medical field, Khmer United Party President Kuch Ly told BTV News Cambodia.
Cambodian Nationality Party (Ballot Position #3)
The president of the Cambodian Nationality Party Seng Sokheng said his party will focus on cooperation between the people and government officials to ensure peace in the country, he told Kampuchea Thmey TV. The party has condemned opposition members such as former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) president Sam Rainsy in the past.
Khmer National United Party (Ballot Position #4)
The Khmer National United Party, under the leadership of its president Nhek Bun Chhay, has pledged to establish a policy that would cap hospital costs at 10,000 riel for treatment of all kinds of diseases in public hospitals. He said this is the party’s most important policy.
“[This policy] is the most popular among the population, as it will include all kinds of Cambodian clinics and state hospitals,” he said.
The party’s president argued that other countries already provide free or low cost medical treatment, pointing to Thailand as an example where people pay low fees at state hospitals.
Democracy Power Party (Ballot Position #5)
This is the first time the Democracy Power Party has candidates running in a general election, after it was formally recognized by the government in 2020. To Un Visethkun, the party’s president, health is an important issue and the party wants to institute a policy where all hospital expenses are covered by the government.
“The health sector is a priority that needs to be changed if the party wins the election,” he said.
Other policy priorities for the party include preserving Khmer culture, as well as improving management of government revenue and civil servant salaries.
Farmers Party (Ballot Position #6)
Meas Bopov, president of the Farmers Party, told RFI Khmer that the party will focus on strengthening the country’s agricultural sector, in part through the state purchasing excess rice harvest from farmers. He also said the party would work to improve Cambodia’s irrigation systems.
Women for Women Party (Ballot Position #7)
The Women for Women Party, led by Soeung Sothy, is focused on encouraging women to participate in the development of the country. The party was originally formed in 1999 as the Rice Party, but adopted a new name in 2023.
“I want all women to stand up and not think that they are weak, [that they have to] stay at home and depend on their husbands,” Sothy said. “Because of tradition, women think their role is just that of housewives, which is one of the reasons why they lose their strength.”
She wants women to be more involved in solving social problems and feels that women are undervalued, and lack education and job opportunities. Sothy said that if she were the prime minister, she would build a community with easy access to markets that would improve economic opportunities.
The party also wants to reduce food insecurity, prevent alcohol promotion to the public, advocate for prisoners rights, help indebted elderly populations and eliminate community gambling.
Khmer Anti-Poverty Party (Ballot Position #8)
Daran Kravanh, president of the Khmer Anti-Poverty Party, told Cambodianess that if his party wins in the general election, it plans to give a monthly allowance and a healthcare card to disabled people, older people, children and pregnant women. The party also intends to provide people with free Wi-Fi with 6G internet.
Funcinpec Party (Ballot Position #9)
The National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia, commonly referred to as the Funcinpec Party, led by Prince Norodom Chakravuth, is focused on protecting the Cambodian monarchy and respecting the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements, which is what allowed the UN to run the 1993 election when Funcinpec won a majority of seats.
“The royalists were overthrown in 1970, causing the country to go to war and the national economy to [plummet], and all the people lost their freedom,” said Funcinpec spokesperson Nhoeurn Raden, adding that a royalist government will make the country “peaceful and prosperous.”
The party claims it wants to increase women’s inclusion in politics, but only about 6% of its listed candidates are women. Funcinpec also has plans to reduce the price of fertilizer, electricity and fuel, and provide free treatment to people with substance abuse issues.
Dharmacracy Party (Ballot Position #10)
Savadey Pothidey, the leader of the Dharmacracy Party, said the party will focus on the elimination of corruption in the country. She said this priority is even reflected in how the party operates, because she funds the party with her own money.
“We do not accept money from [party] members. This is to eradicate corruption,” she said.
Other policies include improving the fairness of the judiciary, expanding irrigation systems, creating short educational courses for farmers and requiring the prime minister to only have citizenship in Cambodia. Resolving land disputes is another stated priority; Pothidey is a member of the prime minister’s Supreme Advisory Council, tasked with reviewing land disputes.
Grassroots Democratic Party (Ballot Position #11)
For the Grassroots Democratic Party, led by Yeng Virak, protecting democracy is a primary focus. The party, founded by former civil society members, wants to limit prime ministers to serving two terms.
Grassroots Democratic Party spokesperson Sek Sokha said that in order to support a democracy, revising laws does not serve the national interests unless there is a multi-party parliament and each party leads the country for only two terms.
The party also plans to focus on drug issues and reduce congestion and traffic accidents. In regards to the environment and infrastructure, the party wants to protect and conserve flooded forests, rehabilitate canals and lakes and provide sufficient water for agriculture.
People Purpose Party (Ballot Position #12)
Ith Sarum, chairman of the People Purpose Party, said on the party’s YouTube channel that the party would prioritize improving education, developing the health sector and growing the country’s economy.
“Public infrastructure, roads, bridges, a quality education system, health, the economic sector. This is the role that the party has to play when our party leads the government,” he said.
Khmer Economic Development Party (Ballot Position #13)
Huon Chanthon, president of the Khmer Economic Development Party, told Kampuchea Thmey Daily that his party mostly focuses on development in the education system, including providing lunch to elementary students, keeping curriculums up to date and preventing teachers from taking payments from students.
Ekpheap Cheat Khmer Party (Ballot Position #14)
Ekpheap Cheat Khmer Party pledged to provide 300,000 riel per month to people over 65, and 40,000 riel per month for every child under six living in poverty.
“Older people over the age of 65 who are poor and have no income to earn a living, if the state does not help, they will become beggars…Children under the age of six need milk and food,” said party president Chim Un. “Ekpheap Cheat Khmer Party must find a solution for them. This policy has a lot of support from the people, especially the poor.”
The party also plans to provide health care cards to poor people for free examinations and treatment, as well as increase the salaries of local civil servants to 2.5 million riel and other workers to 1.5 million riel.
Khmer Conservative Party (Ballot Position #15)
The Khmer Conservative Party, chaired by Real Camerin, has plans to focus on eradicating corruption, eliminating the country’s drug problems and putting more resources toward the nation’s education system. The party also wants to provide free medical treatment for people living in poverty.
Cambodian Youth Party (Ballot Position #16)
For the Cambodian Youth Party, chaired by Pich Sros, national interests and sovereignty are a primary priority, including reviewing the enforcement of immigration laws for all immigrants living in Cambodia. In 2017, the party filed a complaint against the CNRP which led to the dissolution of the opposition party.
The Cambodian Youth Party pledges to reduce the price of gasoline, and set the minimum monthly wage for civil servants at 2.8 million riel and for other workers at 1.4 million riel. That would nearly double the current minimum wage for other workers which is about 825,000 riel, or $200. Seniors would receive a monthly allowance of 300,000 riel under this party’s policies. The party also wants to eliminate illegal advertising of alcohol and prevent discrimination against poor patients in public hospitals.
Cambodia Indigenous Peoples Democracy Party (Ballot Position #17)
Cambodia Indigenous Peoples Democracy Party prioritizes the protection of indigenous people’s rights. Specifically, the party wants to protect ancestral lands and places sacred to indigenous communities, and create programs to train indigenous people in traditional weaving. According to party deputy Sroy Khet, 99% of its candidates are indigenous.
“The Cambodia Indigenous Peoples Democracy Party is 100% committed to implementing its policies if the party has a voice in the National Assembly and will not disappoint the electorate,” he said.
Cambodian People’s Party (Ballot Position #18)
Spokesperson for the ruling CPP Sok Eysan said that all of the CPP policy programs are already being highlighted because the CPP is currently in power. The party plans to offer vocational training to young people from poor families, including paying fees and providing a monthly allowance, he said. The CPP has a policy to strengthen the agricultural sector by sending professional officers to train people in rural areas, he said, and also wants to provide convenient public health care to Cambodians.
“Roads, bridges, schools, electricity and many buildings in Cambodia are the development efforts of the Cambodian People’s Party,” he said. “The CPP is the ruling party and has turned political programs into practice,”
