al)
and 3 municipalities* (krong, singular and plural); Banteay Mean
Cheay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe,
Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Keb*, Krachen, Mondol Kiri,
Otdar Mean Cheay, Phnum Penh*, Pouthisat, Preah Seihanu*
(Sihanoukville), Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab,
Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev
note: there may be a new municipality called Pailin

Independence: 9 November 1953 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 9 November (1953)

Constitution: promulgated 21 September 1993

Legal system: primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes
from the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC)
period, royal decrees, and acts of the legislature, with influences of
customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing
influence of common law in recent years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King Norodom SIHANOUK (reinstated 24 September 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 30 November 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is chosen by a Royal Throne Council;
prime minister appointed by the monarch after a vote of confidence by
the National Assembly

Legislative branch: bicameral consists of the National Assembly (122
seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and
the Senate (61 seats; two members appointed by the monarch, two
elected by the National Assembly, and 57 elected by "functional
constituencies"; members serve five-year terms
elections: National Assembly - last held 26 July 1998 (next to be held
NA 2003); Senate - last held 2 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP
41%, FUNCINPEC 32%, SRP 14%, other 13%; seats by party - CPP 64,
FUNCINPEC 43, SRP 15; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - CPP 31, FUNCINPEC 21, SRP 7

Judicial branch: Supreme Council of the Magistracy, provided for in
the constitution, was formed in December 1997; a Supreme Court and
lower courts exercise judicial authority

Political parties and leaders: Buddhist Liberal Party or BLP [IENG
MOULY]; Cambodian Pracheachon Party or Cambodian People's Party or CPP
; Khmer Citizen Party or KCP ; National United
Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia
or FUNCINPEC ; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP
(form