Human Rights Party (Cambodia)

The Human Rights Party (Khmer: គណបក្សសិទ្ធិមនុស្ស, UNGEGN: Kônâbâks Sĕtthĭ Mônŭss, ALA-LC: Gaṇapaks Siddhi Manuss) was a Cambodian political party founded on 22 July 2007 by Kem Sokha.^[1] Critics allege that its foundation is meant to weaken opposition parties and is driven by the ruling party. This sentiment, however, seems to be driven by the ruling party themselves as Kem Sokha has long been a very vocal critic of the ruling Cambodian People's Party. At the time of its foundation, the party claimed to have between 200,000 and 500,000 members nationwide.^[1]

Human Rights Party គណបក្សសិទ្ធិមនុស្ស
Founder	Kem Sokha
Founded	22 July 2007
Dissolved	17 July 2012
Merged into	Cambodia National Rescue Party
Membership (2007)	200,000–500,000[1]
Ideology	Grassroots democracy[2] Liberal democracy[2] Populism
Politics of Cambodia Political parties Elections

Human Rights Party is the first party in Cambodia to adopt the check and balance system, changing the culture of one-man-ruling parties, which most parties in Cambodia adopt. It is also the first party in Cambodia to have its major leaders elected in its convention. Its popularity has been dramatically increasing in Cambodia, especially in the countryside.

In the July 2008 parliamentary elections, the ruling party won a landslide majority, and the Human Rights Party took third place.

In 2012, it merged with the Sam Rainsy Party to form the Cambodia National Rescue Party.

Electoral performance

General election

Election	Leader	Votes			Seats		Position	Government
		#	%	±	#	±
2008	Kem Sokha	397,816	6.6	6.6	3 / 123	3	3rd	CPP–FUNCINPEC

Communal election

Election	Leader	Votes			Communes		Councillors		Position
		#	%	±	#	±	#	±
2012	Kem Sokha	580,483	9.9	9.9	18 / 1,633	18	800 / 11,459	800	3rd

References

1. Yun, Samean; Tomei, Elizabeth (9 April 2007). "Kem Sokha Launches Human Rights Party for 2008". The Cambodia Daily. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
2. "Kem Sokha, In His Own Words". Voice of America. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2019.

External links

• HRP website (Khmer, French, English)
• Habeas-Corpus.net, a pro Justice and Democracy web publishes a page in English and Spanish on Cambodia