Info on Cambodia

Political and country context

Basic facts and figures

Cambodia is situated in the Lower Mekong Region in South East Asia and covers 181,035 km2. The capital Phnom Penh is the largest city with a population of 1.2 million (December 2007 figure); the second largest city is Battambang and other larger cities are Siem Reap, Sihanouk Ville, Kampong Chhnang and Kampong Cham.

The tropical climate fosters a monsoon season (May-November) during which large parts of the country is flooded and a dry season during which crops failure is frequent due to inadequate irrigation systems. Thus Cambodia regularly suffers from food shortages and 45 per cent percent of Cambodian children are considered malnourished or show signs of stunting.

Cambodia is home to 14.8 million people dominated by the indigenous Khmers (approx. 90 per cent) while minority populations of Vietnamese (5 percent), Chinese (1 percent), Cham (Muslim) and indigenous hill tribes (North East) exist (UN 2005). Theravada Buddhism is by far the dominant religion and, Khmer, the official language, is spoken by more than 95 per cent of the population. Cambodia’s population is very young with roughly 50 per cent being under the age of 25. The female life expectancy is 63 years and 59 years for men. I lliteracy remains a major problem; every third Cambodian women and every five men are illiterate. While the education system has improved and about 90 per cent of children now start primary school, only 45 per cent completes it and an estimated 6 per cent makes it to university.

Despite the impressive economic growth of around 8–10 per cent per annum over the past three years, Cambodia remains a very poor country. It is ranked 131 out of 177 in the 2007/2008 UNDP Human Development Index (HDI) with the GDP per capita reaching USD 513 in 2006. It is estimated that for every 10 per cent growth in national income, poverty is only reduced by 1.4 per cent — contributing to the long-term poverty trap. The main industries are tourism and the textile industry. Although a high 71 per cent of the population remains heavily dependent on agriculture and fishing, it only contributes 31 per cent of the country’s GDP. According to UNICEF m ore than one third of Cambodians survive on less than USD 1 a day and Cambodia has the highest infant and under-five mortality rates in the region, at 97 and 141 per 1,000 live births, respectively .

Transparency International’s 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index placed Cambodia 162 nd, out of 171 countries surveyed. Other issues of concern are land grabbing, illegal logging, human trafficking and improving quality and quantity of basic public services, in particular health.

Cambodia is still suffering from more than two decades of civil was in the 1970s and 1980s, and most notably the aftermaths of Khmer Rouge era from 1975-1979 where more than 1.7 million people are estimated to have lost their lives. Cambodia’s road to peace was facilitated by a Peace Agreement signed in Paris in 1991 and the presence of the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) a large UN mission that facilitated the holding of the first democratic elections in 1993. The second and third General Assembly elections were held in 1998 and 2003 respectively. As many other post-conflict countries, Cambodia has faced several hurdles on its path to stability, including riots and intra-party fights and other cases of politically motivated violence and intimidations.

The System of Government

Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy ruled according to “the principles of liberal democracy and pluralism” (Constitution, Art. 1). The King reigns but does not govern. The monarch is chosen by a Royal Council of the Throne from among the male descendants of King Ang Duong, King Norodom or King Sisowath who are at least 30 years of age and of Buddhist faith. The current monarch, King Norodom Sihamoni, was chosen in 2004 following the abdication of his father, King Norodom Sihanouk.

Executive power is exercised by the Royal Government of Cambodia, headed by a Prime Minister. The Prime Minister and his or her ministerial appointees exercise executive power through the Council of Ministers. The Government must enjoy the confidence of the National Assembly.

Legislative power is exercised by the National Assembly and, to some degree, the Senate, which is not elected by universal vote. Members of the National Assembly, members of the Senate, and the prime minister have the right to initiate legislation, which must then be adopted by the National Assembly.

The Constitution stipulates that the judiciary is independent and “shall guarantee and uphold impartiality and protect the rights and freedoms of the citizens”. The highest court is the Supreme Court. The Supreme Council of Magistracy, chaired by the King or his representative, oversees the judiciary.

11 political parties will contest the 27 July 2008 elections, among them the three parties currently represented in the General Assembly.