1993 Cambodian general election

The State of Cambodia (SOC) and three warring factions of the Cambodian resistance consisting of FUNCINPEC, Khmer Rouge and Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF) signed the Paris Peace Accords in October 1991. The accords provides for the establishment of the UNTAC, a United Nations-led interim administration that would supervise the demobilization of troops from the SOC and the three warring factions, and also conduct democratic elections in 1993.[3] The UNTAC was formed at the end of February 1992, and Yasushi Akashi was appointed as head of the UNTAC.[4]

In August 1992, the UNTAC administration promulgated the election law,[5] and conducted the provisional registration of political parties. Political parties that were registered were allowed to open party offices the following month.[6] The following year in January 1993, registration of electorate was carried out, and UNTAC identity cards were issued.[7] The UNTAC conducted a civic education campaign in February 1993,[8] and two months later the UNTAC allowed political parties to hold public meetings and rallies to campaign for votes.[9]

The 120 members of the Constituent Assembly were elected via closed party list proportional representation under the largest remainder method (using the Hare quota) in multi-member constituencies of between one and eighteen seats corresponding to the provinces and the capital, Phnom Penh. The elected members would also be tasked with drafting and approving the new Constitution of the country in the following three months.[21]

The voting process was carried out between 23 and 28 May 1993.[22] Most of the voting stations were based in school buildings and Buddhist pagodas to reduce costs. The election was staffed by some 50,000 Cambodians and 900 international volunteers as well as an additional 1,400 United Nation officers which served as polling station observers.[23] The counting of votes started on 29 May and lasted until 10 June. The results were declared by Akashi, and five days later the UN security council endorsed the election results with Security Council Resolution 840.[24]

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	FUNCINPEC	1,824,188	45.47	58
	Cambodian People's Party	1,533,471	38.23	51
	Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party	152,764	3.81	10
	Liberal Democratic Party	62,698	1.56	0
	MOULINAKA	55,107	1.37	1
	Khmer Neutral Party	48,113	1.20	0
	Democratic Party	41,799	1.04	0
	Free Independent Democracy Party	37,474	0.93	0
	Free Republican Party	31,348	0.78	0
	Liberal Reconciliation Party	29,738	0.74	0
	Cambodge Renaissance Party	28,071	0.70	0
	Republican Coalition Party	27,680	0.69	0
	Khmer National Congress Party	25,751	0.64	0
	Neutral Democratic Party of Cambodia	24,394	0.61	0
	Khmer Farmer Liberal Democracy	20,776	0.52	0
	Free Development Republican Party	20,425	0.51	0
	Rally for National Solidarity	14,569	0.36	0
	Action for Democracy and Development	13,914	0.35	0
	Republican Democracy Khmer Party	11,524	0.29	0
	Nationalist Khmer Party	7,827	0.20	0
Total		4,011,631	100.00	120
Valid votes		4,011,631	94.01
Invalid/blank votes		255,561	5.99
Total votes		4,267,192	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		4,764,618	89.56
Source: Nohlen et al.[25]

On 31 May 1993, the CPP filed a complaint with Akashi over claims of irregularities in the elections. When Akashi dismissed CPP's complaints, Hun Sen and Chea Sim suggested to Sihanouk to assume full executive powers as the Head of State of the country.[1] Sihanouk accepted the initiative, and issued a declaration on 3 June that he would assume the position as the Head of State of Cambodia. The ministries would be divided between FUNCINPEC and CPP on a fifty-fifty basis.[26]

FUNCINPEC president Ranariddh, as well as several countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and China opposed the initiative. The US charged that Sihanouk's initiative would violate the spirit of the election as well as the terms set in the Paris Peace Accords. The following day, Sihanouk abandoned the initiative to assume full executive powers.[27]

One week later on 10 June, Hun Sen announced that seven eastern provinces, all bordering Vietnam, had seceded from Cambodia under the leadership of then-Deputy Prime Minister Norodom Chakrapong and then-Interior Minister Sin Song. Hun Sen avoided supporting the secession attempt publicly, but accused the United Nations of creating electoral fraud to precipitate CPP's defeat in the election. Chakrapong and Sin Song attacked political offices belonging to FUNCINPEC and BLDP in the provinces, and also issued orders for UNTAC officials to leave the provinces under their control.[28]

An emergency National Assembly meeting was initiated on 14 June where Sihanouk was re-instated as the Head of State, with Ranariddh and Hun Sen appointed as co-prime ministers with equal levels of executive powers.[29] When Hun Sen issued a letter to Akashi to declare his support for continued UNTAC's interim administration, Chakrapong and Sin Song dropped the secessionist threats.[30] For the next three months, Sihanouk presided over an interim administration. He tendered his resignation on 21 September, and re-assumed the office of the King of Cambodia two days later on 23 September 1993.[31]

• 1st National Assembly of Cambodia