Repeated Multiparty Elections in Cambodia
Intensifying Authoritarianism Yet Benefiting the Masses
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2909613 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sivhuoch Ou (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 93 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 567-592 |
| Publication date | 2020-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Pacific Affairs (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0030-851X • E-ISSN: 1715-3379 |
| Publisher | Pacific Affairs (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.5509/2020933567 |
| OpenAlex | W3082908045 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 9 |
The United Nations (UN) introduced multiparty elections to Cambodia in 1993 in the hope of bringing about democracy in that country. Ironically, the two-and-a-half decades of uninterrupted elections have led to an ever-more authoritarian government under Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodian People's Party (CPP). Authoritarianism under the single-dominant party system began in 1997, but has intensified since 2017 with the ban on the leading opposition party. While concurring that repetitive elections have consolidated authoritarianism, this paper argues that elections are not merely tools that authoritarian leaders deploy to hold on to power. Elections are arguably mechanisms that have compelled the CPP to offer several extraordinary economic concessions since 2013; this is the first argument of the paper. The developments have created a win-win scenario for the rulers and the ruled-the authoritarian leaders prolong their rule, and the masses have more disposable income, among various benefits. The second argument is that such policy concessions are made only when the ruling party senses critical challenges from the opposition and voters. This paper contributes to the literature arguing that multiparty elections in electoral authoritarian regimes extract economic policy concessions
Argument (complex analysis) · Authoritarianism · Democracy · Development economics · Economics · Opposition (politics) · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Cambodian History and Society · Law · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies
Comparative Analysis of Democratic Systems in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand
Political Opposition in Cambodia after 1993
The pendulum between hedging and bandwagoning
Empowering environmental entrepreneurs in the Global South? The case of a Sustainable Building Incubator in Phnom Penh
A tale of two cities
Farmers, soldiers, and ghostheads
A Regal Authoritarian Turn in Cambodia
Labour and Electoral Politics in Cambodia
The Dynamics of Pro-Government Labour Mobilisation in Cambodia
| Unique citing works | 9 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,5 |
| Citation span | 2020 - 2025 (6) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 9 |