TheCandlelight Party (Khmer:គណបក្សភ្លើងទៀន,UNGEGN:Kônâbâks Phleung Tiĕn,ALA-LC:Gaṇapaks Bhloeng Dian[keanapaʔpʰləːŋtiən])^[5] is aliberal party inCambodia. The party was a member of theCouncil of Asian Liberals and Democrats,Liberal International, and theAlliance of Democrats. It is the largest opposition party in Cambodia, and the main challenger to the rulingCambodian People's Party.^[2][6][7] The party, which would have been the only competitive opposition party to the CPP, was disqualified from running in the2023 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 theKhmer Nation Party,^[8] renamed theSam Rainsy Party in 1998,^[8] and it was renamed the Candlelight Party in 2018. This party is currently the official opposition to the rulingCambodian People's Party. Since the decline of the junior coalition partner,FUNCINPEC, in the 2008National Assembly elections, the Candlelight Party is now considered the second largest party and the largest opposition party inCambodia. 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 theHuman Rights Party in theDemocratic Movement of Change.

In 2008, party activistTuot Saron was arrested on a charge of "being an accomplice to unlawful confinement".^[9] International human rights groups includingHuman Rights Watch andAmnesty International described the charges as a politically motivated attempt to intimidate other SRP activists.^[9][10] Tuot Saron was released on 26 November 2010, following a Royal Pardon decree.^[11] 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.^[12]

Election	Leader	Votes			Seats		Position	Government
		#	%	±	#	±
1998	Sam Rainsy	699,665	14.3	New	15 / 122	New	3rd	CPP–FUNCINPEC
2003		1,130,423	21.9	7.6	24 / 123	9	3rd	CPP–FUNCINPEC
2008		1,316,714	21.9		26 / 123	2	2nd	CPP–FUNCINPEC

Election	Leader	Votes			Chiefs		Councillors		Position
		#	%	±	#	±	#	±
2002	Sam Rainsy	736,454	16.9	New	13 / 1,621	New	1,329 / 11,261	New	3rd
2007		1,303,906	25.2	8.3	28 / 1,621	15	2,660 / 11,353	1,331	2nd
2012		1,224,460	20.8	4.4	22 / 1,633	6	2,155 / 11,459	505	2nd
2017	Teav Vannol	Did not contest			0 / 1,646	22	0 / 11,572	2,155	—
2022		1,610,556	22.2	22.2	4 / 1,652	4	2,198 / 11,622	2,198	2nd

Election	Leader	Votes			Seats		Position	Outcome
		#	%	±	#	±
2006	Kong Korm	1,165	10.3	—	2 / 57	5	3rd	Minority
2012		2,503	21.9	11.6	11 / 57	9	2nd	Minority

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

• Sam Rainsy Party official site

This article about a Cambodian political party is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it.

• v
• t
• e

This political party- and liberalism-related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• 1995 establishments in Cambodia
• Cambodian democracy movements
• Liberal parties in Cambodia
• Nationalist parties in Cambodia
• Political parties established in 1995
• Political parties in Cambodia
• Progressive parties
• Asian political party stubs
• Cambodia stubs
• Liberal party stubs

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles containing Khmer-language text
• Pages with Khmer IPA
• All stub articles