The Cambodian People's Party (CPP; ,
UNGEGN
The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) is one of the nine expert groups of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and deals with the national and international standardization of geographical names. ...
: ) is a
Cambodia
Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
n
political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...
which has ruled the country since
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
. Founded in 1951, it was originally known as the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP).
During the
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
it allied itself with
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
and the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, in contrast to the pro-Chinese
led by
Pol Pot
Pol Pot (born Saloth Sâr; 19 May 1925 – 15 April 1998) was a Cambodian politician, revolutionary, and dictator who ruled the communist state of Democratic Kampuchea from 1976 until Cambodian–Vietnamese War, his overthrow in 1979. During ...
.
After toppling the
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), and by extension to Democratic Kampuchea, which ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. The name was coined in the 1960s by Norodom Sihano ...
's
Democratic Kampuchea regime with the Vietnamese-backed liberation of
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Cambodia, most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since 1865 and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its political, economic, industr ...
, it became the ruling party of the
People's Republic of Kampuchea
The People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) was a partially recognised state in Southeast Asia which existed from 1979 to 1989. It was a satellite state of Vietnam, founded in Cambodia by the Vietnamese-backed Kampuchean United Front for Nationa ...
(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
A one-party state, single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a governance structure in which only a single political party controls the ruling system. In a one-party state, all opposition parties are either outlawed or en ...
and
Marxism–Leninism
Marxism–Leninism () is a communist ideology that became the largest faction of the History of communism, communist movement in the world in the years following the October Revolution. It was the predominant ideology of most communist gov ...
.
Originally rooted in
communist
Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
and Marxist–Leninist ideologies, the party took on a more
reformist
Reformism is a political tendency advocating the reform of an existing system or institution – often a political or religious establishment – as opposed to its abolition and replacement via revolution.
Within the socialist movement, ref ...
outlook in the mid-1980s under
Heng Samrin
Heng Samrin (; born 25 May 1934) is a Cambodian politician who served as the President of the National Assembly of Cambodia (2006–2023). Between 1979 and 1992, he was the '' de facto'' leader of the Hanoi-backed People's Republic of Kampuchea ...
. In 1991, the CPP officially dropped its commitment to
socialism
Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
, and has since embraced a
mixed economy
A mixed economy is an economic system that includes both elements associated with capitalism, such as private businesses, and with socialism, such as nationalized government services.
More specifically, a mixed economy may be variously de ...
. Along with some major parties of the European centre-right, the CPP is a member of the
Centrist Democrat International
The Centrist Democrat International (CDI; , IDC) is a political international inspired by the values of Christian democracy. Until 2001, it was known as the Christian Democrat International (CDI); before 1999, it was known as the Christian Demo ...
. It presents itself as a
big tent
A big tent party, or catch-all party, is a political party having members covering a broad spectrum of beliefs. This is in contrast to other kinds of parties, which defend a determined ideology, seek voters who adhere to that ideology, and att ...
of supporters of the Prime Minister
Hun Sen
Samdech Hun Sen (; , Romanization of Khmer#UNGEGN, UNGEGN: ; born 5 August 1952) is a Cambodian politician and former military officer who currently serves as the List of presidents of the Senate (Cambodia), president of the Senate. He previous ...
.
Nevertheless, the party has ties with the
Socialist International
The Socialist International (SI) is a political international or worldwide organisation of political parties which seek to establish democratic socialism, consisting mostly of Social democracy, social democratic political parties and Labour mov ...
and remains a close ally of the
Communist Party of Vietnam
The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) is the founding and sole legal party of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Founded in 1930 by Hồ Chí Minh, the CPV became the ruling party of North Vietnam in 1954 and then all of Vietnam after the col ...
,
and has been described as left-wing by
Deutsche Welle
(; "German Wave"), commonly shortened to DW (), is a German state-funded television network, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the Federal Government of Germany. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite tele ...
and
Green Left.
The party's rule has been described as
authoritarian
Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and ...
.
[ (section XI, "Recreating Elite Stability, July 1997 to July 1998")][Duncan McCargo, « Cambodia: Getting Away with Authoritarianism? », Journal of Democracy, vol. 16, no 4, octobre 2005, p. 98]
History
Forerunner organizations and early history
Nationalists in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos held the belief that to successfully liberate themselves from
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
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
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
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
(CPK) in 1966. Members of the CPK moved the party's headquarters to
Ratanakiri Province, where they were termed "
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), and by extension to Democratic Kampuchea, which ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. The name was coined in the 1960s by Norodom Sihano ...
" by Prince
Norodom Sihanouk
Norodom Sihanouk (; 31 October 192215 October 2012) was a member of the House of Norodom, Cambodian royal house who led the country as Monarchy of Cambodia, King, List of heads of state of Cambodia, Chief of State and Prime Minister of Cambodi ...
.
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
Heng Samrin (; born 25 May 1934) is a Cambodian politician who served as the President of the National Assembly of Cambodia (2006–2023). Between 1979 and 1992, he was the '' de facto'' leader of the Hanoi-backed People's Republic of Kampuchea ...
(General Secretary),
Chea Sim,
Hun Sen
Samdech Hun Sen (; , Romanization of Khmer#UNGEGN, UNGEGN: ; born 5 August 1952) is a Cambodian politician and former military officer who currently serves as the List of presidents of the Senate (Cambodia), president of the Senate. He previous ...
,
Chea Soth,
Math Ly,
Tea Banh,
Men Sam An,
Nguon Nhel
Nguon Nhel (; 22 December 1942 – 5 November 2021) was a Cambodian politician. He belonged to the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kampong Thom Province, Kampong Thom from 1993 until his death. He was the ...
,
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
Heng Samrin (; born 25 May 1934) is a Cambodian politician who served as the President of the National Assembly of Cambodia (2006–2023). Between 1979 and 1992, he was the '' de facto'' leader of the Hanoi-backed People's Republic of Kampuchea ...
,
Say Phouthang,
Bou Thang, Men Sam An and Sar Kheng.
Hun Sen's leadership (1991–2023)
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
The social market economy (SOME; ), also called Rhine capitalism, Rhine-Alpine capitalism, the Rhenish model, and social capitalism, is a socioeconomic model combining a free-market capitalist economic system with social policies and enough re ...
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
The Sandinista National Liberation Front (, FSLN) is a socialist political party in Nicaragua. Its members are called Sandinistas () in both English and Spanish. The party is named after Augusto César Sandino, who led the Nicaraguan resistan ...
in terms of both authoritarian governance and representing formerly far-left revolutionary organizations that transitioned into a more reformist type of governance.
The party has also been described as left-wing by
Deutsche Welle
(; "German Wave"), commonly shortened to DW (), is a German state-funded television network, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the Federal Government of Germany. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite tele ...
,
and
Green Left.
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.
The CPP hosts
Socialist International
The Socialist International (SI) is a political international or worldwide organisation of political parties which seek to establish democratic socialism, consisting mostly of Social democracy, social democratic political parties and Labour mov ...
meetings, remains a close ally of the
Communist Party of Vietnam
The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) is the founding and sole legal party of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Founded in 1930 by Hồ Chí Minh, the CPV became the ruling party of North Vietnam in 1954 and then all of Vietnam after the col ...
, and most of the party members are former communists.
The CPP also retains socialist party organisation.
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. Since
2018 Cambodian general election, the party commands 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.
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 (1979–81);
** 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
KPRP (General Secretary) CPP (President)
Organization
The party is headed by a 34-member Permanent Committee, commonly referred to as the
Politburo
A politburo () or political bureau is the highest organ of the central committee in communist parties. The term is also sometimes used to refer to similar organs in socialist and Islamist parties, such as the UK Labour Party's NEC or the Poli ...
(after its former Communist namesake). The current members are (with their party positions in brackets):
#
Hun Sen
Samdech Hun Sen (; , Romanization of Khmer#UNGEGN, UNGEGN: ; born 5 August 1952) is a Cambodian politician and former military officer who currently serves as the List of presidents of the Senate (Cambodia), president of the Senate. He previous ...
(Chairman)
#
Heng Samrin
Heng Samrin (; born 25 May 1934) is a Cambodian politician who served as the President of the National Assembly of Cambodia (2006–2023). Between 1979 and 1992, he was the '' de facto'' leader of the Hanoi-backed People's Republic of Kampuchea ...
(Honorary Chairman)
#
Sar Kheng (Deputy Chairman)
#
Say Chhum (Chairman of the Standing Committee)
#
Say Phouthang
#
Bou Thang
#
Tea Banh
#
Men Sam An
#
Nguon Nhel
Nguon Nhel (; 22 December 1942 – 5 November 2021) was a Cambodian politician. He belonged to the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kampong Thom Province, Kampong Thom from 1993 until his death. He was the ...
#
Ney Pena
#
Sim Ka
#
Ke Kim Yan
#
Pol Saroeun
#
Kong Sam Ol
#
Im Chhun Lim
#
Dith Munty
#
Chea Chanto
#
Uk Rabun
#
Cheam Yeap
#
Ek Sam Ol
#
Som Kim Suor
#
Khuon Sudary
#
Pen Pannha
#
Chhay Than
#
Hor Nam Hong
#
Bin Chhin
#
Keat Chhon
#
Yim Chhay Ly
#
Tep Ngorn
#
Kun Kim
#
Meas Sophea
#
Neth Savoeun
Recent electoral history
General election
Communal elections
Senate elections
See also
*
Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation
The Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation (, UNGEGN: ''Rônâsĕrs Samôkki Sângkrŏăh Chéatĕ Kâmpŭchéa''; , FUNSK), often simply referred to as Salvation Front, was the nucleus of a new Cambodian regime that would topple the K ...
*
Modern Cambodia
After decades of conflict, Cambodia's modern era began in 1993 with the restoration of the monarchy and end of the and the United Nations Transitional Authority after general elections were held. Since 1993, the Cambodian People's Party have c ...
*
People's Republic of Kampuchea
The People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) was a partially recognised state in Southeast Asia which existed from 1979 to 1989. It was a satellite state of Vietnam, founded in Cambodia by the Vietnamese-backed Kampuchean United Front for Nationa ...
*
Politics of Cambodia
The politics of Cambodia are defined within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarchy of Cambodia, king serves as the head of state, and the Prime Minister of Cambodia, prime minister is the head of government. In practi ...
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
*Guo, Sujian (2006). ''The Political Economy of Asian Transition from Communism''. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. .
External links
CPP websiteList of incidents attributed to the Cambodian Peoples Party on the START database
{{Authority control
1951 establishments in Cambodia
Communist parties in Cambodia
Conservative parties in Cambodia
Formerly ruling communist parties
Hun Sen
Nationalist parties in Cambodia
Organizations of the Third Indochina War
Parties of one-party systems
People's Republic of Kampuchea
Political parties established in 1951
Political parties in Cambodia
Authoritarianism
Monarchist parties in Cambodia