2017 Cambodian communal elections

Communal elections (Khmer: ការបោះឆ្នោតជ្រើសរើសក្រុមប្រឹក្សាឃុំសង្កាត់ អាណត្តិទី៤ ឆ្នាំ២០១៧) were held in Cambodia on Sunday, 4 June 2017.[1] The National Election Committee (NEC) announced that some 7.8 million of 9.6 million eligible Cambodians were registered to cast their ballots. 94,595 candidates from 12 political parties contested the 11,572 commune council seats in 1,646 communes of Cambodia.[2] Voter turnout was a record 90.37%.[3] There were concerns surrounding some irregularities in the polling.[4]

2017 Cambodian communal elections

← 2012 4 June 2017 2022 →

1,646 Commune Chiefs
11,572 Commune Councillors
Registered7,865,033 Decrease 14.5pp
Turnout7,107,395 (90.4%) Increase 25.2pp
  First party Second party
 
Leader Hun Sen Kem Sokha
Party CPP CNRP
Leader since 14 January 1985 2 March 2017
Last election 1,592 chiefs
8,292 councillors
61.8%
40 chiefs
2,955 councillors
30.7% (combined)
Popular vote 3,540,056 3,056,824
Percentage 50.8% 43.8%
Swing Decrease 11.0pp Increase 13.1pp
Chiefs 1,156 489
Chiefs +/– Decrease 436 Increase 449
Councillors 6,503 5,007
Councillors +/– Decrease 1,789 Increase 2,052

The result was a victory for the Cambodian People's Party, albeit with a smaller majority, and saw large gains by the Cambodia National Rescue Party.[5] Ultimately, the strong showing by the opposition led to its dissolve before it could contest the national elections.[6]

Results

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Party Votes % Chiefs +/– Councillors +/–
Cambodian People's Party 3,540,056 50.76 1,156 –436 6,503 –1,789
Cambodia National Rescue Party 3,056,824 43.83 489 +449 5,007 +2,052
FUNCINPEC 132,319 1.90 0 –1 28 –123
League for Democracy Party 122,882 1.76 0 0 4 –4
Khmer National United Party 78,724 1.13 1 New 24 New
Beehive Social Democratic Party 31,334 0.45 0 New 1 New
Grassroots Democratic Party 4,981 0.07 0 New 5 New
Cambodian Nationality Party 2,161 0.03 0 0 0 –1
Cambodian Youth Party 1,505 0.02 0 New 0 New
Cambodia Indigenous People's Democracy Party 1,272 0.02 0 New 0 New
Khmer Power Party 1,035 0.01 0 New 0 New
Republican Democracy Party 818 0.01 0 0 0 0
Total 6,973,911 100 1,646 +13 11,572 +113
Valid votes 6,973,911 98.12
Invalid/blank votes 133,484 1.88
Total votes 7,107,395 100
Registered voters/turnout 7,865,033 90.37
Source: COMFREL

References

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  1. ^ "Date set for 2017 communal elections". The Phnom Penh Post. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  2. ^ "Cambodian communal elections, 2017". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  3. ^ "Khmer". Archived from the original on 6 October 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  4. ^ Feuer, Will. "Cambodia's crucial commune elections: covering the coverage". SouthEast Asia Globe. Archived from the original on 5 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  5. ^ "Official Commune Election Results Released by NEC". The Cambodia Daily. 25 June 2017. Archived from the original on 25 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  6. ^ Nachemson, Andrew (4 July 2019). "Was Cambodia Ever Really a Democracy?". The Diplomat. Retrieved 14 July 2019.