Cambodia
Constitutional Background
Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy under King Norodom Sihanouk. The ICL edition does not yet include the Amendment establishing the Senate in March 1999. The 61-seat Senate was created as an upper house to end an impasse after inconclusive national elections in July 1998 left the three main Cambodian political parties (CPP, FUNCINPEC, BLDP) unable to form a government. Two additional members are appointed by the king.
Under America's Cambodian Genocide Justice Act, research of Yale University discovered evidence for 1 to 3 million systematic killings during the Khmer Rouge Genocide.
History and News
- 4 March 1999: Constitutional Amendment. Creation of the Senate.
- 1998: Admission to ASEAN during the Hanoi summit.
- 26 July 1998: National elections.
- Dec 1997: Formation of the Supreme Court.
- 15 July 1997: Armed force of Hun Sen, after having condemned the Khmer Rouge notorious leader Pol Pot, made 20 royalist-party legislators flee the country and had the resulting parliament elect Hun Sen as new Prime Minister, thereby eradicating much of the democratization.
- 24 Sep 1993: Norodom Sihanouk reinstated as king.
- 21 Sep 1993: New Constitution adopted. Constitutional Assembly becomes new National Assembly.
- May 1993: Elections to the Constitutional Assembly.
- 1993: Elections under UN supervision are boycotted by the Khmer Rouge.
- 1991-1993: During a period of UN supervision, the civil war rested.
- 1990: China claims withdrawal of support from the Khmer Rouge.
- 1979: Civil war goes on; every year during the dry months, the government tries to re-capture areas from Khmer Rouge control.
- 1975-1979: Khmer Rouge regime under Pol Pot rules Cambodia before Vietnamese army drives them into the jungle.
- 1963: Pol Pot goes into the jungle and starts his guerilla movement which leads to his triumph in 1975.
- 9 Nov 1949: Independence from France.
- 1947: Cambodia's becomes a democracy.