Cambodian People's Party

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Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Script error: No such module "Sidebar". The Cambodian People's Party (CPP; Template:Langx Script error: No such module "IPA".) is a political party in Cambodia which has ruled the country since 1979. Founded in 1951, it was originally known as the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP).Template:Efn

During the Cold War it allied itself with Vietnam and the Soviet Union, in contrast to the pro-Chinese Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) led by Pol Pot.[1] After toppling the Khmer Rouge's Democratic Kampuchea regime with the Vietnamese-backed liberation of Phnom Penh, it became the ruling party of the People's Republic of Kampuchea (1979–1989), which was later renamed the State of Cambodia (1989–1991). The party's current name was adopted during the final year of the State of Cambodia, when the party abandoned the one-party system and Marxism–Leninism.

Originally rooted in communist and Marxist–Leninist ideologies, the party took on a more reformist outlook in the mid-1980s under Heng Samrin. In 1991, the CPP officially dropped its commitment to socialism, and has since embraced a mixed economy. Along with some major parties of the European centre-right, the CPP is a member of the Centrist Democrat International. It presents itself as a big tent of supporters of the Prime Minister Hun Sen.[2] Nevertheless, the party met with the Socialist International in 2004 and remains a close ally of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).[3] The CPP claims an official membership of more than 7 million members, making it one of the largest political parties in the world.[4]

The party's rule has been described as authoritarian.Template:Refn

History

Forerunner organizations and early history

Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Nationalists in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos held the belief that to successfully liberate themselves from France they needed to work together; the nationalists formed the supranational Indochinese Communist Party (ICP) to oppose the French in 1930.

However, the triumph of the Japanese during the early stage of World War II crippled French rule and helped to nurture nationalism in all three Indochinese countries. Consequently, the idea of an Indochinese-wide party was submerged in the rhetoric of fierce nationalism. In Cambodia, growing nationalist sentiment and national pride married historical mistrust and fear of neighbouring countries, which turned out to be a stumbling block for the ICP. On 28 June 1951, the Cambodian nationalists who struggled to free Cambodia from French colonial rule split from the ICP to form the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP).

In 1955, the KPRP established a subsidiary party named the Pracheachon in order to run in the national election that year. The name of the party was changed to the Workers' Party of Kampuchea (WPK) on 28 September 1960 and then to the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) in 1966. Members of the CPK moved the party's headquarters to Ratanakiri Province, where they were termed "Khmer Rouge" by Prince Norodom Sihanouk.

Pen Sovan's leadership (1979–1981)

In early 1979, the Cambodian communists who overthrew the Khmer Rouge's regime to end the genocide held a congress. At this gathering, they declared themselves the true successors of the original KPRP founded in 1951 and labelled the congress as the Third Party Congress, thus not recognizing the 1963, 1975 and 1978 congresses of CPK as legitimate. The party considered 28 June 1951 as its founding date. A national committee led by Pen Sovan and Roh Samai was appointed by the Congress. The women's wing of the party, the National Association of Women for the Salvation of Kampuchea, was also established in 1979 with a vast national network of members that extended to the district level.

The existence of the party was kept secret until its 4th congress in May 1981, when it appeared publicly and assumed the name KPRP. The name-change was stated to be carried out "to clearly distinguish it from the reactionary Pol Pot party and to underline and reassert the continuity of the party's best traditions".

Heng Samrin's leadership (1981–1991)

As of 1990, members of the Politburo were Heng Samrin (General Secretary), Chea Sim, Hun Sen, Chea Soth, Math Ly, Tea Banh, Men Sam An, Nguon Nhel, Sar Kheng, Bou Thang, Ney Pena, Say Chhum and alternate members included Sing Song, Sim Ka and Pol Saroeun. Members of the Secretariat were Heng Samrin, Say Phouthang, Bou Thang, Men Sam An and Sar Kheng.

Hun Sen's leadership (1991–2023)

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File:Hun Sen addresses the crowd during Cambodian People's Party.jpg
Hun Sen addresses the crowd at a campaign rally in Phnom Penh.

In 1991, the party was renamed to the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) during a United Nations-sponsored peace and reconciliation process. Politburo and the Secretariat to enter into the new Standing Committee, Chea Sim as President and Hun Sen as Vice-president. Despite being rooted in socialism, the party adopted a pragmatic approach in order to keep power. For instance, the CPP played a major role in Cambodian peace negotiation process, which led to the signing of the Paris Peace Accords on 23 October 1991 and the creation of the second Kingdom of Cambodia. The CPP ousted Nodorom Ranariddh in a coup in 1997, leaving the party with no serious opposition. Thirty-two people died in the coup.

Under CPP rule, Cambodia transitioned into a lower-middle-income economy in 2016. The party aims to turn Cambodia into a higher-middle-income country by 2030 and high-income country by 2050. Ideologically, an increasing number of CPP senior leaders claim that the Cambodian ruling party has adopted a centrist position. They believe that the CPP presents a middle path between capitalism and communism, with emphasis on the values and principles of social market economy along with social and environmental protection, and Buddhist humanism. However, academics such as John Ciorciari have observed that the CPP still continues to maintain its communist-era party structures and that many of its top-ranking members were derived from KPRP. Also, despite Hun Sen being only the deputy leader of the party until 2015, he had de facto control of the party.

Political scientists Radek Buben, Elvin Franisco Rodríguez Fabilena and Karel Kouba classify the CPP under Hun Sen as left-wing, comparing it to the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) in terms of both authoritarian governance and representing formerly far-left revolutionary organizations that transitioned into a more reformist type of governance.[5] The Palgrave Handbook of Political Norms in Southeast Asia described the CPP as "leftist conservatives".[6] The party was also described as "left-leaning" in a Deutsche Welle article in 2012.[7] Sreinith Ten also argues that the party "had embedded the legacy of communism based on Marxist-Leninist ideology", and continues to cling onto socialist-oriented rhetoric and policies to maintain legitimacy, such as through promoting gender egalitarianism and establishing state-backed organizations such as the Kampuchea Revolutionary Women's Association.[8] The CPP hosted a Socialist International meeting in 2004, remains a close ally of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), and most of the party members are former communists.[3] The CPP also retains socialist party organisation.[9]

It won 64 of the 123 seats in the National Assembly in the 1998 elections, 73 seats in the 2003 elections and 90 seats in the 2008 elections, winning the popular vote by the biggest margin ever for a National Assembly election with 58% of the vote. The CPP also won the 2006 Senate elections. The party lost 22 seats in the 2013 elections, with opposition gained. In the 2018 elections, the party won all 125 seats in the National Assembly and 58 of 62 seats in the Senate. The main opposition, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was banned before the election.[10] Since the 2023 elections, the party commands 120 of 125 seats in the National Assembly, and 55 of 62 seats in the Senate. Hun Sen, the former Prime Minister of Cambodia, has served as the CPP's President since 2015.

Party leadership (1979–1993)

  • Heng Samrin:
    • General Secretary of the KPRP (1981–1991)
    • Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (later the Council of State) (1979–1992)
  • Chea Sim:
    • Minister of the Interior (1979–1981)
    • President of the National Assembly (1981–92),
    • Chairman of the Council of State (1992–1994)
  • Pen Sovan:
    • Minister of Defense (1979–1981);
    • General Secretary of the KPRP (1979–1981);
    • Prime Minister (1981)
  • Hun Sen:
    • Minister of Foreign Affairs (1979–1986; 1987–1990);
    • Deputy Prime Minister (1981–85),
    • Prime Minister (1985–1993)
  • Chan Sy:
    • Minister of defense (1981–1982),
    • Prime Minister (1981–1984)
  • Say Phouthang:
    • Vice President of the State Council (1979–1993)
  • Chea Soth:
    • Minister of Planning (1982–1986),
    • Deputy Prime Minister (1982–1992)
  • Bou Thang:
    • Deputy Prime Minister (1982–1992),
    • Minister of Defense (1982–1986)
  • Math Ly:
    • Vice President of the National Assembly
  • Kong Korm:
    • Minister of Foreign Affairs (1986–1987)
  • Hor Namhong:
    • Minister of Foreign Affairs (1990–1993)

List of party leaders

Presidents

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<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />  KPRP (General Secretary) <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />  CPP (President)

Template:Noh Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Term of office Office held Vice President
From To Duration
1 Tou Samouth
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(1915–1962)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		21 September 1951 30 September 1960 Template:Age in years and days ― ―
2 Pen Sovan
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(1936–2016)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		5 January 1979 5 December 1981 Template:Age in years and days Minister of Defence (1979–1981)

Prime Minister (1981)

―
3 File:Samdech Heng Samrin 2018 cropped.jpg Heng Samrin
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(born 1934)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		5 December 1981 17 October 1991 Template:Age in years and days Chairman of the People's Revolutionary Council (1979–1981), President of the Council of State (1981–1992), President of the National Assembly (2006–2023) ―
4 File:Chea Sim 3x4.jpg Chea Sim
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(1932–2015)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		17 October 1991 8 June 2015† Template:Age in years and days Chairman of the National Assembly (1981–1993),

President of the Council of State (1992–1993), President of the Senate (1999–2015)

Hun Sen
5 File:Hun Sen in July 2019.jpg Hun Sen
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(born 1952)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		20 June 2015 Present Template:Age in years and days Minister of Foreign Affairs (1979–1986, 1988–1990),

Prime Minister (1985–2023), President of the Senate (2024–present)

Say Chhum
Sar Kheng
Tea Banh
Men Sam An
Hun Manet

Timeline

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id:kprp value:rgb(0.90,0.10,0.10) legend:Kampuchean_People's_Revolutionary_Party
id:cpp value:rgb(0.12,0.56,1) legend:Cambodian_People's_Party
id:gray1       value:gray(0.85)
id:gray2       value:gray(0.95)

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1951 till:$today TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = gridcolor:gray1 unit:year increment:5 start:1951 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:gray2 unit:year increment:1 start:1951

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bar:Samouth
bar:Sovan
bar:Samrin
bar:Sim
bar:Sen

PlotData= 

 width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

bar:Samouth
 from: 21/09/1951 till: 30/09/1960 color:kprp text:"Tou Samouth"
bar:Sovan
 from: 05/01/1979 till: 05/12/1981 color:kprp      text:"Pen Sovan"
bar:Samrin 
 from: 05/12/1981 till: 17/10/1991 color:kprp text:"Heng Samrin"
bar:Sim
 from: 17/10/1991 till: 08/06/2015 color:cpp text:"Chea Sim"
bar:Sen
 from: 20/06/2015 till: $today     color:cpp text:"Hun Sen"

</timeline>

Vice Presidents

Organization

The party is headed by a 32-member Permanent Committee, commonly referred to as the Politburo (after its former Communist namesake). The current members are (with their party positions in brackets):

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  1. Hun Sen (Chairman)
  2. Heng Samrin (Honorary Chairman)
  3. Sar Kheng (Deputy Chairman)
  4. Say Chhum (Chairman of the Standing Committee)
  5. Say Phouthang
  6. Bou Thang
  7. Tea Banh
  8. Men Sam An
  9. Nguon Nhel
  10. Ney Pena
  11. Sim Ka
  12. Ke Kim Yan
  13. Pol Saroeun
  14. Kong Sam Ol
  15. Im Chhun Lim
  16. Dith Munty
  17. Chea Chanto
  18. Uk Rabun
  19. Cheam Yeap
  20. Ek Sam Ol
  21. Som Kim Suor
  22. Khuon Sudary
  23. Pen Pannha
  24. Chhay Than
  25. Hor Nam Hong
  26. Bin Chhin
  27. Keat Chhon
  28. Yim Chhay Ly
  29. Tep Ngorn
  30. Kun Kim
  31. Meas Sophea
  32. Neth Savoeun

Electoral history

National Assembly elections

Year Leader Candidate Votes Seats Position Government
# % ± # ±
1981 Pen Sovan 2,898,709 90.3 New Template:Composition bar New 1st KPRP
1993 Chea Sim Hun Sen 1,533,471 38.2 Decrease 52.1 Template:Composition bar Decrease 66 Decrease 2nd FUNCINPEC–CPP–BLDP–MOULINAKA
1998 2,030,790 41.4 Increase 3.2 Template:Composition bar Increase 13 Increase 1st CPP–FUNCINPEC
2003 2,447,259 47.3 Increase 5.9 Template:Composition bar Increase 9 Steady 1st CPP–FUNCINPEC
2008 3,492,374 58.1 Increase 10.8 Template:Composition bar Increase 17 Steady 1st CPP–FUNCINPEC
2013 3,235,969 48.8 Decrease 9.3 Template:Composition bar Decrease 22 Steady 1st CPP
2018 Hun Sen 4,889,113 76.8 Increase 28.0 Template:Composition bar Increase 57 Steady 1st CPP
2023 Hun Sen Hun Manet 6,398,311 82.3 Increase 5.5 Template:Composition bar Decrease 5 Steady 1st CPP–FUNCINPEC

Communal elections

Year Leader Votes Chiefs Councillors Position
# % ± # ± # ±
2002[11] Hun Sen 2,647,849 60.9 New Template:Composition bar New Template:Composition bar New 1st
2007[12] 3,148,533 60.8 Decrease 0.1 Template:Composition bar Decrease 7 Template:Composition bar Increase 441 Steady 1st
2012[13] 3,631,082 61.8 Increase 1.0 Template:Composition bar Increase 1 Template:Composition bar Increase 299 Steady 1st
2017[14] 3,540,056 50.8 Decrease 11.0 Template:Composition bar Decrease 436 Template:Composition bar Decrease 1,789 Steady 1st
2022[15] 5,378,773 74.3 Increase 23.5 Template:Composition bar Increase 492 Template:Composition bar Increase 2,873 Steady 1st

Senate elections

Year Candidate Votes Seats Position
# % ± # ±
2006 Chea Sim 7,854 69.2 — Template:Composition bar Increase 14 Steady 1st
2012 8,880 77.8 Increase 8.6 Template:Composition bar Increase 1 Steady 1st
2018 Say Chhum 11,202 95.9 Increase 18.1 Template:Composition bar Increase 12 Steady 1st
2024 Hun Sen 10,052 85.9 Decrease 10.0 Template:Composition bar Decrease 3 Steady 1st

See also

References

Notes

Template:Notelist

Citations

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Bibliography

  • Guo, Sujian (2006). The Political Economy of Asian Transition from Communism. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Template:ISBN.

External links

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