2027 Cambodian communal elections
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6 June 2027
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All 1,652 Communal Chiefs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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All 11,622 seats on the Communal Councils | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Communal elections will be held in Cambodia on 6 June 2027,[1][2][3][4] to elect 1,652 commune chiefs and commune councils.[2] They will inturn, further elect senators, which are due in 2029. This will be the first election in Cambodia, after the border crisis with Thailand which further escalated into direct violence.
Electoral system
All 1,652 commune chiefs are elected by a simple plurality in a single round of voting, also known as first past the post. Where the party with the most votes wins, regardless of whether they achieve an absolute majority.[5]
In addition to this, all 1,652 will elect a council for each respective commune. Under Sub-Decree 107, communes are limited to the following number of councillors per commune only, where the decision the size of the council is to be decided by "geographical and demographic factors" according to the National Election Committee (NEC).[5] Where the council is elected using closed list proportional representation, under the d'Hondt method.
| Number of possible seat allocations in commune councils |
|---|
| 5 |
| 7 |
| 9 |
| 11 |
The total number of councillors and commune chiefs remains unchanged from the 2022 election, at 1,652 commune chiefs and 11,622 councillors respectively.
Background
After the 2022 communal elections, Cambodian People's Party (CPP) gained a landslide victory, with gains in both commune chiefs and commune councillors. However, the 2022 elections also saw a resurgence of the opposition, the Candlelight party. However, after the 2023 election, where the Candlelight party's candidacy was rejected by the NEC,[6] which led to the formation of the Alliance Towards the Future, an alliance consisting of multiple opposition parties.[7] This will be the first direct election, this alliance will face.
Political parties
| Parties | Leader | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commune chiefs | Commune councilors | |||||
| Cambodian People's Party | Hun Sen | 1,648 / 1,652 |
9,376 / 11,622 | |||
| Alliance Towards the Future | Candlelight Party | Teav Vannol | 4 / 1,652 |
2,198 / 11,622 | ||
| Grassroots Democracy Party | Veng Virak | 0 / 1,652 |
6 / 11,622 | |||
| Democratic Progressive Party[a] | Yem Ponhearith | 0 / 1,652 |
1 / 11,622 | |||
| Khmer Will Party | Kong Molika | 0 / 1,652 |
0 / 11,622 | |||
| Cambodian Reform Party | Pol Ham | 0 / 1,652 |
0 / 11,622 | |||
| FUNCINPEC | Norodom Chakravuth | 0 / 1,652 |
19 / 11,622 | |||
| Khmer National United Party | Nhek Bun Chhay | 0 / 1,652 |
13 / 11,622 | |||
| Cambodian Youth Party | Pich Sros | 0 / 1,652 |
3 / 11,622 | |||
| Beehive Social Democratic Party | Mam Sonando | 0 / 1,652 |
1 / 11,622 | |||
| Nation Power Party | Chea Mony | Did not exist | Did not exist | |||
Campaign
According to party leader Hun Sen, the CPP plans to use the “peaceful resolution policy in the border dispute” as a campaign for the upcoming 2027 commune election and 2028 national election, further tapping into the message of peace and stability which was a core campaign point for the CPP in past elections. This was met with concern from the opposition, where Kong Monika, the leader of the Khmer Will Party, said "there should not be a monopoly on issues". Where he further cited, intimidation and restrictions remain the greatest challenge for opposition campaigns. [8]
Allegations of Foreign Interference
The Sunday Guardian, an Indian news outlet, claims to uncover classified documents involving an alleged plan by the United States government, which proposed a program to strengthen the Cambodian opposition via a fund, worth 2 million dollars. According to the plan, the main beneficiary would have been the Alliance Towards the Future and several civil society organizations. The program also aimed at establishing opinion polls and further election monitoring.[9] In response, the Ministry of the Interior issued a warning for all political parties that receiving foreign funding is illegal and may lead to dissolution. Furthermore, Kong Molika, the party leader of the Khmer Will Party, a member of the Alliance Towards the Future has rejected allegations of receiving foreign funding.[10][11]
Notes
- ↑ Formerly Kampucheaniyum Party
References
- ↑ "សេចក្តីសម្រេចរបស់រាជរដ្ឋាភិបាល លេខ ១១ ស.ស.រ ស្តីពី ការប្រកាសកាលបរិច្ឆេទនៃការបោះឆ្នោតជ្រើសរើសក្រុមប្រឹក្សាឃុំ សង្កាត់ អាណត្តិទី៦". National Election Committee (in Khmer). Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- 1 2 "សេចក្តីសម្រេចរបស់រាជរដ្ឋាភិបាល លេខ ១១ ស.ស.រ ស្តីពី ការប្រកាសកាលបរិច្ឆេទនៃការបោះឆ្នោតជ្រើសរើសក្រុមប្រឹក្សាឃុំ សង្កាត់ អាណត្តិទី៦". National Election Committee (in Khmer). Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ "Cambodia to Host 6th Commune/Sangkat Council Election in June Next Year". Agence Kampuchea Presse. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ "June 6, 2027 Set for Commune Council Elections". Cambodianess. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- 1 2 "អនុក្រឹត្យស្តីពីការកំណត់ចំនួនសមាជិកក្រុមប្រឹក្សាឃុំ សង្កាត់អាណត្តិទី៦ | គណៈកម្មាធិការជាតិរៀបចំការបោះឆ្នោត (គ.ជ.ប)". National Election Committee (in Khmer). Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ "NEC rejects Candlelight party's registration for July general election". Khmer Times. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ↑ xuJsZKsm8uNMLfX4 (25 September 2023). "CP wants to form alliances with other parties". Khmer Times. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ Narim, Khuon (10 June 2026). "Ruling CPP to Use Border Dispute Issue As 2027 Commune Election Campaign Material". CamboJA News. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ Sharma, Tushar (20 June 2026). "U.S. backs plan to strengthen Cambodian opposition". The Sunday Guardian. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ Horng, Pengly (24 June 2026). "Interior Ministry warns parties over foreign funding". Khmer Times. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ Narim, Khuon (24 June 2026). "Opposition Parties Reject $2 Million Foreign Funding Claim Cited in Government Warning | CamboJA News". Retrieved 27 June 2026.