Political Parties (Cambodia)

From a photo at http://www.pensovann.com/pix/12142002a.jpg it seems that the party flag (folded at the right of the photo) is logo (as seen behind) on light blue.
Dov Gutterman, 29 April 2003

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The CNSP was founded in January 1998 by Pen Sovvan. A former Prime Minister of the Communist government installed by Vietnam in 1979, Pen Sovvan was arrested in 1981 and jailed in Vietnam for the next 10 years (BBC World Service, 21 January 1998). The party did not won any seat in the 1998 national election and boycotted the 2003 election. In May 2006, the CNSP refused to merge with Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) (The Cambodia Daily, 23 May 2006).

In July 2007, Pen Sovvan announced his ralliement to the Human Rights Party led by Kem Sokha (Le Petit Journal, 17 juillet 2007).
Ivan Sache, 19 July 2008

The Cambodian People's Party (CPP; in Khmer, Kanakpak Pracheachon Kâmpuchéa, KPK) emerged in 1991 during the reconciliation process, as the follower of the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party, which was the sole legal party in the country from 1981 to 1991 and claimed the heritage of the party of the same name secretely founded in 1951. The CPP has dropped the Marxist-Leninist orientation of its foreruner.

The CPP governs Cambodia in coalition with the Royalist party FUNCINPEC. The historic leader and strongman of the CPP is Hun Sen, currently the Vice-President of the party and the controversial Prime Minister of Cambodia since 1985. Hun Sen was imposed by Viet Nam after the overthrowing of the Red Khmers and has been reelected three times in a row since then, in an atmosphere of political violence and corruption. His main opponent, Sam Rainsy, was forced to exile in 2005-2006, until "pardoned" by the King at Hun Sen's request (mostly because of international pressure).

The flag of the CPP is light blue with the emblem of the party in the middle, as shown on photographs taken on 26 June 2008 during the election campaign in Phnom Penh.
Ivan Sache, 19 July 2008

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Todays New York Times show a photo of supporters of the ruling prime minsisters Hun Sen`s Cambodian People's Party showing them using light blue flags with the party logo. The party site gives the defintion of the logo in its bylaws:

Article 2:

The shape of the Party's logo is oval with white background, having two bundles of golden grainy stalks of rice bent as buffalo horns and meeting at the end. The decorating strip rolls the lower side of the bundles in five circular levels; in the middle of the strip which bows across the lower part are engraved the white scriptures reading the Cambodian People's Party. The golden carving is to be used as the support; between the carving and the decorating strip there are golden gears. On the white background, an angel spreading flowers is located in the middle of the circle.

An image of the (intricate) logo can be seen at this location.
prometevsberg, 26 July 2008

At viewimages.com, photos of a 2003 political rally can be seen, showing the then-flag of Cambodia's royalist party - blue with seal (also other party flags, with a checked election box and writing, golden-on-blue).

In October 2006, the party leader Prince Norodom Ranariddh quit, and a new logo (without his portrait) was adopted. I found a blog article showing a photo of the party's new "banner," as they called it - square and green with unusually large seal.

I don't know whether this means that green has replaced blue as the party color. Note that blue is the royal color of Cambodia, therefore natural for a monarchist party.
Eugene Ipavec, 2 October 2007

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About the party:

Funcinpec supports and protects the constitutional monarchy. We respect the constitution of 1993 with the motto of the Nation Religion Monarch. We embrace the principles of democracy, freedom, multiple parties, and human rights. We continue to work in reconciliation with everyone in order to find eternal peace under the guidance of the King, Preah Bath Norodom Sihanouk.

Dov Gutterman, 10 March 1999

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FUNCINPEC is the acronym of the name of the party in French, "Front Uni National pour un Cambodge Indépendant Neutre Pacifique et Coopératif" (English translation: National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia). The party was founded in 1981 by former King Norodom Sihanouk. His eldest son, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, took the leadership of the party, which he transferred in October 2006 to Keo Puth Rasmey. The FUNCINPEC is currently ruling Cambodia, together with Hun Sen's CPP.

The flag with the green background is indeed the current party flag, as shown on a photography on the party website (called "logo" but seemingly a real flag), dated 18 October 2006.

Direct link to the image
Ivan Sache, 19 July 2008

As it seems from the flag-logo on http://www.datagraphic.fr/knp/Politique.htm, this party flag is the national colors and the party coat-of-arms in the center.

I guess the inscription is not on the actual flag.

The Coat of Arms in: http://www.datagraphic.fr/knp/Politique.htm
Dov Gutterman, 10 March 1999

Horizontal white over red with a star in the middle, red when on the white stripe and vice-versa, flanked by black sickle and hammer.
Ivan Sache, 06 August 1999

The Khmer Unity Party (KUP) was founded on 23 October 1997 by Khieu Rada, a founding member of the Royalist party FUNCINCEP, as a "liberal, democratic and nationalistic party", to fight "the vietnamisation of Cambodia by Vietnam" (Official press release, 23 October 1997). The proclamation of the party took place at O'Smash, a town on the border with Thailand and symbol of the national resistance. The KUP is a breakaway from the Khmer National Party (KNP) led by Sam Rainsy, of which Khieu Rada was Secretary-General until the split and the formation of KUP (The Cambodia Daily, 27 June 1998). The KUP could not win any seat either in the 1998 or 2003 national election.

On 12 November 2007, Khieu Rada, together with several management members of the KUP, joined the FUNCINCEP.

The KUP website is located here.

The flag of KUP is light blue with the emblem of the party in the middle, as seen on photographs taken during the election campaign in July 2003.
Ivan Sache, 19 July 2008

A political party in Cambodia. The flag seems to be the party logo--a blue circle with a white, lit candle and the party name below--on a light blue field. Website: http://www.samrainsyparty.org/.
Eugene Ipavec, 21 May 2006

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Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) was founded by Sam Rainsy (b. 1949) in 1998, as the follower of the Khmer Nation Party, led by Rainsy from 1995 to 1998. A founding member of the FUNCINPEC, Rainsy is the leader of the national opposition and the main enemy of Prime Minister Hun Sen. Rainsy was forced to exile in 2005-2006, until "pardoned" by the King at Hun Sen's request (mostly because of international pressure).

Photographs taken during the 2008 election campaign confirm that the flag of SRP is light blue with the party emblem in the middle.

The proportions seems to be the proportions 2:3.
Ivan Sache, 19 July 2008

About

The United People of Cambodia (in Khmer, Sangkhum Khmer Niyum, SKN) party was founded on 25 December 2002 by Sarath Oeurn (b. 1958, living in California since 1991). The main goal of the party is "to bring a new style of politics direct from California to the Cambodia arena", a goal clearly expressed in the party symbols. Based in Long Beach and without representatives anywhere in Cambodia, the party is funded purely by the Khmer community of California. The models of the party's founder are King Jayavarman VII and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (South Eastern Globe, September 2007). One of the smallest parties in Cambodia, the SKN could not win any seat in the April 2007 municipal elections, in spite of contesting in 13 municipalities (The Cambodia Daily, 18 July 2007). The National Election Committee (NEC) rejected the application of the party for contesting the national election scheduled to 27 July 2008. Out of the 57 registered parties, only 12 have submitted their application, of which only the United People of Cambodia was turned down (VuthaNews, 21 May 2008).

The symbols of the party are presented and explained on the party website, together with photographies proving that the flags of the party and of the President of the party do exist.

Party Flag

image by Ivan Sache, 18 July 2008

The flag of the party, designed by the party's founder, is horizontally divided in four red stripes alternating with three white stripes. The blue canton of the flag is charged with the Angkor Wat temple, surrounded by 21 stars forming a rectangle, all in white.

The symbol of the party is a blue circular seal featuring a yellow eagle bearing on her chest a shield reproducing the flag of the party. The eagle holds in her right claws a branch of laurel. and in her left claws seven red arrows. There is a scroll above the eagle's head, surmonted by a light blue disk charged with seven white stars. The eagle is surrounded by 21 white stars forming a ring. The rim of the seal is charged with the name of the party in white letters, both in Khmer (top) and English (capitalized, bottom).

Presidential flag

image by Ivan Sache, 18 July 2008

The symbol of the President of the Party is similar in design to the symbol of the party, with some differences. The scroll and blue disk above the eagle's head are replaced by another, white scroll, seven yellow rays emerging from the eagle's neck, five white stars below five white disks above the eagle's head and another two white stars on the right of the eagle's head. The outer, blue border of the seal is bordered yellow and the writing, in blue capital letters, is SEAL OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED PEOPLE.

The flag of the President of the party is blue with the inner part of the symbol of the President (excluding the seal's border and lettering) in the middle.

Party Symbol Flag

image by Ivan Sache, 18 July 2008

There is even a third flag shown on photographs, featuring the inner part of the symbol of the party instead.

Symbols explanation

The symbols are explained as follows:

The 21 stars represent the provinces and Capitol of Cambodia. The seven stars on top of the eagle, as well at the seven arrows in its hand, the seven berries on the branch, the seven stripes on its shield, its seven feathers on its tail, and the seven colors contain in the icon represents all seven days of the week, in which everyone is born.

The arrows symbolizes the ability to defend the country, while the branch symbolizes the reconstruction of Cambodia.

Each of Angkor Wat's windows contain seven bars. God created the Heavens and the Earth in six days, and rested on the seventh. The number seven reoccurs many time in this 12th century temple.

Sources:

• Party website - Graphics, photographs and description of the symbols
• Party website - Background and photographs, including (direct links):
• Party website - Photography of the President in front of the symbol of the party, flanked by the flag of the party (with golden fringe) and the flag with the symbol of the party.
• Party website - Photography of the President in front of the symbol of the President, flanked by the flag of the party (with golden fringe) and the flag of the President

Ivan Sache, 18 July 2008