Who runs local government in Cambodia?
Cambodia has three levels of sub-national administration, but only the lowest one, the commune or sangkat council, is directly elected by voters. Commune councillors then elect the councils of districts and provinces, while governors are appointed by central government. Decentralisation has been a slow, government-led programme since the first commune elections in 2002.
Kingdom of Cambodia · Unitary constitutional monarchy · South-eastern Asia
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Capital (Phnom Penh) and provinces (24 khaet) | Council indirectly elected by commune councillors; governor appointed by the central government | Oversees districts and communes; the governor leads the board of governors (executive). |
| Districts (srok), municipalities (krong) and urban districts (khan), about 203 | Council indirectly elected by commune councillors; appointed board of governors | Local planning and some delegated services. |
| Communes (khum) and quarters (sangkat), about 1,650 | Council directly elected for five years by party-list proportional representation; the top candidate of the winning list becomes commune chief | Local development, civil registration, small infrastructure, local order. |
| Villages (phum) | Village chief appointed by the commune council (not elected) | Administrative link to households; reports to the commune. |
Three questions about local power in Cambodia
Are local leaders elected?
Only commune and sangkat councils are elected directly by voters. Provincial and district councils are elected indirectly by commune councillors, and all governors and village chiefs are appointed.
Which laws set up local government?
The 1993 Constitution (Chapter XIII) and the 2001 and 2008 organic laws set up the councils. Pagoda leadership and many dispute settlements work through custom and religion rather than law.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Voters can remove commune councillors every five years. Councils and governors are supervised by the Ministry of Interior and the National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development (NCDD). In 2017 the Supreme Court dissolved the main opposition party and its commune seats were given to other parties, showing central power over elected local bodies.
Traditional and customary authority
Buddhist pagodas (wat) are important community centres. Monks and lay temple leaders called achar organise ceremonies, raise money for local projects and help settle disputes, but they have no formal government power. Indigenous highland communities, especially in Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri, can register collective (communal) land titles under the 2001 Land Law, which gives traditional community decision-making a legal role over land.
Community and neighbourhood power
Village chiefs and commune councils are the main links between people and the state. Pagoda committees, savings groups and community fisheries or forestry groups (recognised under sector laws) manage shared resources. The National League of Local Councils represents commune and sangkat councils nationally.
Points to know
- Commune councillors also elect most members of the national Senate, so local elections affect national politics.
- The first-ever commune elections were held on 3 February 2002; the most recent were in June 2022.
- The 2021–2030 National Programme on Sub-National Democratic Development aims to give more functions to districts and municipalities.
- Phnom Penh is treated as a province and has about 2.3 million people.
Local terms
- Sangkat
- An urban quarter, the town equivalent of a rural commune (khum).
- Achar
- A lay leader at a Buddhist pagoda who organises rituals and community activities.
Sources
- Constitution of Cambodia 1993 (rev. 2008) (English text), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Country profile: Cambodia, OECD–UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment (SNG-WOFI), checked 14 October 2026
- National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development (NCDD), Royal Government of Cambodia, checked 14 October 2026
- National Election Committee of Cambodia, National Election Committee (NEC), checked 14 October 2026
See also: Cambodia's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.