thumb|200px|right|Sam Rainsy [[campaign bus during the 2008 election]]

The Candlelight Party (, UNGEGN: , ALA-LC: ) is a liberal party in Cambodia. The party was a member of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats, Liberal International, and the Alliance of Democrats. It is the largest opposition party in Cambodia, and the main challenger to the ruling Cambodian People's Party. The party, which would have been the only competitive opposition party to the CPP, was disqualified from running in the 2023 election by the National Election Committee despite previously being permitted to participate in the 2022 local elections. The party resumed political activity in October 2021 after having been inactive since 2012.

The party, founded in 1995 as the Khmer Nation Party, renamed the Sam Rainsy Party in 1998, International human rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International described the charges as a politically motivated attempt to intimidate other SRP activists. Tuot Saron was released on 26 November 2010, following a Royal Pardon decree. In July 2024, Candlelight Party President Teav Vannol was fined 6 billion riels (approximately $1.5 million) for “defaming” the Cambodian government to foreign media.

Election results

General elections

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! rowspan=2| Election

! rowspan=2| Leader

! colspan=3| Votes

! colspan=2| Seats

! rowspan=2| Position

! rowspan=2| Government

|-

! #

! %

! ±

! #

! ±

|-

! 1998

|rowspan="3" | Sam Rainsy

| 699,665

| 14.3

| New

|

| New

| 3rd

|

|-

! 2003

| 1,130,423

| 21.9

| 7.6

|

| 9

| 3rd

|

|-

! 2008

| 1,316,714

| 21.9

|

|

| 2

| 2nd

|

|-

|}

Communal elections

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! rowspan=2| Election

! rowspan=2| Leader

! colspan=3| Votes

! colspan=2| Chiefs

! colspan=2| Councillors

! rowspan=2| Position

|-

! #

! %

! ±

! #

! ±

! #

! ±

|-

! 2002

|rowspan="3" | Sam Rainsy

| 736,454

| 16.9

| New

|

| New

|

| New

| 3rd

|-

! 2007

| 1,303,906

| 25.2

| 8.3

|

| 15

|

| 1,331

| 2nd

|-

! 2012

| 1,224,460

| 20.8

| 4.4

|

| 6

|

| 505

| 2nd

|-

! 2017

|rowspan="2"|Teav Vannol

|colspan="3"| Did not contest

|

| 22

|

| 2,155

|

|-

! 2022

| 1,610,556

| 22.2

| 22.2

|

| 4

|

| 2,198

| 2nd

|-

|}

Senate elections

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! rowspan=2| Election

! rowspan=2| Leader

! colspan=3| Votes

! colspan=2| Seats

! rowspan=2| Position

! rowspan=2| Outcome

|-

! #

! %

! ±

! #

! ±

|-

! 2006

| rowspan="2" | Kong Korm

| 1,165

| 10.3

| —

|

| 5

| 3rd

|

|-

! 2012

| 2,503

| 21.9

| 11.6

|

| 9

| 2nd

|

|-

|}

See also

  • :Category:Candlelight Party politicians
  • Liberalism
  • Contributions to liberal theory
  • Liberalism worldwide
  • List of liberal parties
  • Liberal democracy

References