Political Situation In Cambodia

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Cambodia suffered years of conflict from the early 1970s until the early 1990s, especially during the 1975-1979 period of Khmer Rouge rule. Following the 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a cease fire, the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) was established to supervise implementation of the UN Peace Settlement. UN sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy and a new constitution, promulgated on 24 September 1993, transformed Cambodia into a Constitutional Monarchy. FUNCINPEC (Royalists) formed a coalition government with the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) following the 1993 election. This first coalition government ended in 1997 after factional fighting when in the aftermath of armed clashes between the forces loyal to Hun Sen and Prince Ranariddh the former re-asserted his political dominance. The 1998 elections resulted in another coalition government between the FUNCINPEC Party and the CPP. CPP leader, Hun Sen, was made Prime Minister and Prince Rannaridh became President of the National Assembly. A Senate was established in 1998. During the past five years, Cambodia has enjoyed much more political stability and territorial unity than for decades. In the 2003 National Assembly Elections, to which New Zealand sent election observers, violence and intimidation was less present than in previous elections and the process was generally considered to be credible. Although the CPP received a simple majority, it did not receive the two-thirds then required constitutionally to rule in its own right. In the most recent National Assembly elections (July 2008), a similar result transpired with the CPP securing 60% of the party vote, returning Hun Sen to power for another five years. The election was noted for its calm and restraint, and the whole process was described as more organised
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