이 논문은 2013년 캄보디아 총선 분석을 통해 캄보디아 정치지형의 변화와 함께 사회경제적인 변화를 조감하고, 특히 불공정한 선거 제도 하에서 선거가 갖는 기능과 그 한계에 대해 논한다. 캄보디아는 2008년 선거를 계기로 더욱 폐쇄적인 선거권위주의체제로 퇴행하였 지만, 2013년 총선은 집권당의 강압적 통치와 경제적 실패에 대한 반대와 더불어 야당의 전략적 승리가 결집함으로써 정치극장의 한 계를 뛰어넘어 실질적인 변화의 단초를 제공했다는 점에서 의미 있는 선거였다.
Since the landslide victory of the Cambodian People’s Party in the 2008 general elections, Cambodia’s political system has undeniably decayed to become a consolidated electoral authoritarian state, under which elections are no more than a political theater that generates political legitimacy with little prospect for a regime change. Does it mean that the concepts of democracy and democratization are obsolete and have little relevance to Cambodia and that the 5th general elections held in July, 2013 were simply another performance staged by the CPP? The 2013 elections defied such a pessimistic view with results that could have ended the CPP dominance had the electoral system been improved to prevent the irregularities reported during and after the election day. With a high voter turnout, including the 1.6 million first time voters, roughly half the voters refused the increasingly autocratic Hun Sen regime. Although the regime denied any fault in the election process and results, the Cambodian Rescue Party, the opposition party, insisted on ballot recounting and electoral reform. After a year-long deadlock, the CPP government unwillingly had to come to terms with the CRP. Now theNational Election Committee has been reformed and prepared to push for more electoral reform. Elections under authoritarian regime often times are designed in such a way to give an impression that democracy is working and provide the regime with legitimacy. However, elections by the concept contain potentials to defy the given role by having voters united in such a number that surpasses the limit imposed by the unfair electoral system. The 2013 general elections of Cambodia revealed that the possibility is valid, putting a curb on the regime and turning the direction of the political system back to democracy. It remains to be seen to what extent the momentum moves on.