South East Asian Trips

The kingdom of Cambodia is divided into 20 provinces and 3 municipalities, and is governed by a constitutional monarchy. The present king, Prince Norodom Sihamoni, is the chief of state, selected by the Royal Throne Council. The legislative functions of government are in the hands of a bicameral parliament, consisting of the Senate and the National Assembly. The National Assembly in turn selects the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the monarch. Suffrage in Cambodia is universal, with the voting age being 18 years. The country has a few main political parties, which include the Sam Rangsi Party (a Khmer party), the National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC- quite a mouthful of a name, but an important party), the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), and the Buddhist Liberal Party (BLP), among others.

The political situation in Cambodia has been dismal for nearly thirty years now; the civil war between the communist Khmer forces and the Vietnam backed government has ravaged the country and taken its toll on virtually every aspect of life. It was only in 1991-92, with the UN-sponsored elections after the signing of the Paris Accord and the complete annihilation of the Khmer Rouge, that peace has come to this country.