View source for Candlelight Party

{{Infobox political party
| country          = Cambodia
| name             = Candlelight Party
| native_name      = {{lang|km|គណបក្សភ្លើងទៀន}}
| logo             = 
| colorcode        = {{party color|Candlelight Party}}
| abbreviation     = CLP
| founder          = [[Sam Rainsy]]
| leader1_title    = President
| leader1_name     = Teav Vannol
| leader2_title    = Vice Presidents
| leader2_name     = Thach Setha<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/candlelight-party-congress-issues-official-policy-plans|title= Candlelight Party congress issues official policy plans |work=[[Phnom Penh Post]]|access-date=28 May 2022}}</ref><br />[[Son Chhay]]<br />[[Rong Chhun]]
| leader3_title    = 
| leader3_name     = 
| foundation       = {{start date and age|1995|11|2|df=y}}
| slogan           = "{{lang|km|សីលធម៌ សច្ចធម៌ យុត្តិធម៌}}" ("Integrity, Truth, Justice")<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.samrainsyparty.org/en/|title=Sam Rainsy Party}}</ref>
| headquarters     = Sangkat Veal Sbov, [[Khan Chbar Ampov]], [[Phnom Penh]], Cambodia
| ideology         = [[Liberalism]]<br/>[[Liberal democracy]]<ref name=TheDiplomat>{{cite news|url=https://thediplomat.com/2022/04/how-the-candlelight-party-can-restore-political-pluralism-to-cambodia/s|title= How the Candlelight Party Can Restore Political Pluralism to Cambodia |work=[[The Diplomat (magazine)|The Diplomat]]|access-date=28 May 2022}}</ref><br />[[Progressivism]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.voacambodia.com/a/cambodian-opposition-rises-from-the-ashes-ahead-of-local-elections-/6600956.html|title=Cambodian Opposition Rises from the Ashes Ahead of Local Elections|work=[[Voice of America]]|date=3 June 2022|accessdate=11 June 2022}}</ref>
| position         = [[Centrism|Centre]] to [[centre-left politics|centre-left]]
| international    = 
| national         = [[Alliance Towards the Future]]
| regional         = [[Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats]]
| seats1_title     = [[Senate (Cambodia)|Senate]]
| seats1           = {{composition bar|0|62|hex=}}
| seats2_title     = [[National Assembly (Cambodia)|National Assembly]]
| seats2           = {{composition bar|0|125|hex=}}
| seats3_title     = [[List of communes in Cambodia|Commune chiefs]]
| seats3           = {{composition bar|4|1652|{{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| seats4_title     = [[Commune Council (Cambodia)|Commune councillors]]
| seats4           = {{composition bar|2198|11622|{{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| website          = {{URL|candlelightparty.org}}, {{URL|https://candlelightparty.info/en/}}
}}
[[Image:Elections 40365 02072008.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Sam Rainsy [[campaign bus]] during the 2008 election]]
The '''Candlelight Party''' ({{langx|km|គណបក្សភ្លើងទៀន}}, [[Romanization of Khmer#UNGEGN|UNGEGN]]: {{Transliteration|km|Kônâbâks Phleung Tiĕn}}, [[Romanization of Khmer#ALA-LC Romanization Tables|ALA-LC]]: {{Transliteration|km|Gaṇapaks 
Bhloeng Dian}} {{IPA|km|keanapaʔ pʰləːŋ tiən|}})<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110704/candlelight-party-amends-statute-congress/|title=Candlelight Party amends statue in Congress|work=[[Khmer Times]]|access-date=1 September 2018}}</ref> is a [[liberal parties|liberal party]] in [[Cambodia]]. The party was a member of the [[Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats]], [[Liberal International]], and the [[Alliance of Democrats (political international)|Alliance of Democrats]]. It is the largest opposition party in Cambodia, and the main challenger to the ruling [[Cambodian People's Party]].<ref name=TheDiplomat/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/20-na-seats-possible-candlelight-party-yara|title=20 NA seats possible for Candlelight Party: Yara|first=Sivutha|last=Nov|work=[[The Phnom Penh Post]]|date=8 June 2022|accessdate=10 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/opposition-candleligh-02072022084910.html|title=Opposition Candlelight Party gains steam in Cambodia in shadow of crackdown|work=[[Radio Free Asia]]|date=7 February 2022|accessdate=10 June 2022}}</ref> The party, which would have been the only competitive opposition party to the CPP, was disqualified from running in the [[2023 Cambodian general election|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,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Cambodia's Local Elections Have Ended Hun Sen's One-Party System |url=https://thediplomat.com/2022/06/cambodias-local-elections-have-ended-hun-sens-one-party-system/ |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US}}</ref>''' renamed the '''Sam Rainsy Party''' in 1998,<ref name=":0" /> and it was renamed the Candlelight Party in 2018. This party is currently  the official opposition to the ruling [[Cambodian People's Party]]. Since the decline of the junior coalition partner, [[FUNCINPEC]], in the 2008 [[National Assembly (Cambodia)|National Assembly]] elections, the Candlelight Party is now considered the second largest party and the largest opposition party in [[Cambodia]]. The party won 15 of the 123 seats in the National Assembly in the 1998 elections, 24 seats in the 2003 elections, and 26 seats in the 2008 elections. The CP won two seats in the 2006 Senate elections. In 2009, it formally allied with the [[Human Rights Party (Cambodia)|Human Rights Party]] in the [[Democratic Movement of Change]].

In 2008, party activist [[Tuot Saron]] was arrested on a charge of "being an accomplice to unlawful confinement".<ref name="AI">{{cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa23/006/2010/en/ |title=Cambodia Prisoner of Conscience Tuot Saron |date=September 2010 |publisher=Amnesty International |access-date=26 December 2011 }}</ref> International human rights groups including [[Human Rights Watch]] and [[Amnesty International]] described the charges as a politically motivated attempt to intimidate other SRP activists.<ref name="AI" /><ref name="HRW">{{cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2008/03/22/cambodia-opposition-officials-arrested-sway-elections |title=Cambodia: Opposition Officials Arrested to Sway Elections |date=23 March 2008 |publisher=Human Rights Watch |access-date=26 December 2011}}</ref> Tuot Saron was released on 26 November 2010, following a Royal Pardon decree.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cambodiantoday.blogspot.com/2010/12/tout-saron-srp-activist-and-amnesty.html |title=Tout Saron, SRP activist and Amnesty Int'l "Prisoner of Conscience", finally released from jail |date=15 December 2010 |publisher=Cambodian Today |access-date=26 December 2011}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/cambodian-politician-fined-15-mln-defamation-after-democracy-criticism-2024-07-25/ |title=Cambodian politician fined $1.5 mln for defamation after democracy criticism|date=25 July 2024 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=25 July 2024}}</ref>

==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 Cambodian general election|1998]] 
|rowspan="3" | [[Sam Rainsy]] 
| 699,665
| 14.3
| ''New'' 
| {{Composition bar|15|122|hex={{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| ''New'' 
| {{increase}} 3rd 
| {{no2|[[Cambodian People's Party|CPP]]–[[FUNCINPEC]]}} 
|-
! [[2003 Cambodian general election|2003]] 
| 1,130,423
| 21.9
| {{increase}}7.6 
| {{Composition bar|24|123|hex={{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| {{increase}}9
| {{steady}} 3rd 
| {{no2|CPP–FUNCINPEC}} 
|-
! [[2008 Cambodian general election|2008]] 
| 1,316,714
| 21.9
| {{steady}}
| {{Composition bar|26|123|hex={{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| {{increase}}2 
| {{increase}} 2nd 
| {{no2|CPP–FUNCINPEC}} 
|-
|}

===Communal elections=== 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan=2| Election
! rowspan=2| Leader 
! colspan=3| Votes
! colspan=2| [[Communes of Cambodia|Chiefs]] 
! colspan=2| [[Commune Council (Cambodia)|Councillors]] 
! rowspan=2| Position
|-
! #
! %
! ±
! #
! ±
! #
! ±
|-
! [[2002 Cambodian communal elections|2002]] 
|rowspan="3" | [[Sam Rainsy]] 
| 736,454
| 16.9
| ''New''
| {{Composition bar|13|1621|hex={{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| ''New''
| {{Composition bar|1329|11261|hex={{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| ''New'' 
| {{increase}} 3rd
|-
! [[2007 Cambodian communal elections|2007]] 
| 1,303,906 
| 25.2
| {{increase}}8.3 
| {{Composition bar|28|1621|hex={{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| {{increase}}15
| {{Composition bar|2660|11353|hex={{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| {{increase}}1,331
| {{increase}} 2nd 
|-
! [[2012 Cambodian communal elections|2012]] 
| 1,224,460 
| 20.8
| {{decrease}}4.4
| {{Composition bar|22|1633|hex={{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| {{decrease}}6
| {{Composition bar|2155|11459|hex={{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| {{decrease}}505 
| {{steady}} 2nd
|-
! [[2017 Cambodian communal elections|2017]] 
|rowspan="2"|Teav Vannol
|colspan="3"| Did not contest
| {{Composition bar|0|1646|hex={{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| {{decrease}}22
| {{Composition bar|0|11572|hex={{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| {{decrease}}2,155
| {{n/a}}
|-
! [[2022 Cambodian communal elections|2022]] 
| 1,610,556
| 22.2
| {{increase}}22.2
| {{Composition bar|4|1652|{{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| {{increase}}4
| {{Composition bar|2198|11622|{{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| {{increase}}2,198
| {{increase}} 2nd
|-
|}

===Senate elections===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan=2| Election
! rowspan=2| Leader 
! colspan=3| Votes
! colspan=2| Seats
! rowspan=2| Position
! rowspan=2| Outcome 
|-
! #
! %
! ±
! #
! ±
|-
! [[2006 Cambodian Senate election|2006]] 
| rowspan="2" | [[Kong Korm]] 
| 1,165 
| 10.3 
| —
| {{Composition bar|2|57|hex={{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| {{decrease}}5 
| {{steady}} 3rd 
| {{no2|Minority}} 
|-
! [[2012 Cambodian Senate election|2012]] 
| 2,503 
| 21.9 
| {{increase}}11.6 
| {{Composition bar|11|57|hex={{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}
| {{increase}}9 
| {{increase}} 2nd 
| {{no2|Minority}} 
|-
|}

==See also==
*[[:Category:Candlelight Party politicians]]
*[[Liberalism]]
*[[Contributions to liberal theory]]
*[[Liberalism worldwide]]
*[[List of liberal parties]]
*[[Liberal democracy]]

==References==
<references/>
{{notelist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050209105125/http://www.samrainsyparty.org/ Sam Rainsy Party] official site
{{Cambodian political parties}}

[[Category:1995 establishments in Cambodia]]
[[Category:Cambodian democracy movements]]
[[Category:Liberal parties in Cambodia]]
[[Category:Nationalist parties in Cambodia]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1995]]
[[Category:Political parties in Cambodia]]
[[Category:Progressive parties]]


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