National holiday:
Independence Day, 9 November (1953)
Constitution:
promulgated 21 September 1993
Legal system:
primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes from the
United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) period,
royal decrees, and acts of the legislature, with influences of
customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing
influence of common law in recent years; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 14 January 1985)
and Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992); SOK
AN, LU LAY SRENG, TEA BANH, HOR NAMHONG, NHEK BUNCHHAY (since 16
July 2004); KEV PUT REAKSMEI (since 24 October 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers in theory appointed by the monarch; in
practice named by the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is chosen by a Royal Throne Council;
following legislative elections, a member of the majority party or
majority coalition is named prime minister by the Chairman of the
National Assembly and appointed by the king
Legislative branch:
bicameral, consists of the National Assembly (123 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Senate (61
seats; 2 members appointed by the monarch, 2 elected by the National
Assembly, and 57 elected by parliamentarians and commune councils;
members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 27 July 2003 (next to be
held in July 2008); Senate - last held 22 January 2006 (next to be
held in January 2011)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP
47%, SRP 22%, FUNCINPEC 21%, other 10%; seats by party - CPP 73,
FUNCINPEC 26, SRP 24; Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 69%,
FUNCINPEC 21%, SRP 10%; seats by party - CPP 45, FUNCINPEC 10, SRP 2
(January 2006)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in the constitution
and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lower courts)
exercises judicial authority
Political parties and leaders:
Cambodian People's Party or CPP [CHEA SIM]; National United Front
for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or
FUNCINPEC [KEV PUT REAKSMEI]; Norodom Ranariddh Party or NRP
[Norodom RANARIDDH]; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP [SAM RANGSI]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACCT, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO