Candlelight Party

{{Infobox political party

| country = Cambodia

| name = Candlelight Party

| native_name = {{lang|km|គណបក្សភ្លើងទៀន}}

| logo = Candlelight Party logo.png

| colorcode = {{party color|Candlelight Party}}

| abbreviation = CLP

| founder = Sam Rainsy

| leader1_title = President

| leader1_name = Teav Vannol

| leader2_title = Vice Presidents

| leader2_name = Thach Setha{{cite news|url=https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/candlelight-party-congress-issues-official-policy-plans|title= Candlelight Party congress issues official policy plans |work=Phnom Penh Post|access-date=28 May 2022}}
Son Chhay
Rong Chhun

| leader3_title =

| leader3_name =

| foundation = {{start date and age|1995|11|2|df=y}}

| slogan = "{{lang|km|សីលធម៌ សច្ចធម៌ យុត្តិធម៌}}" ("Integrity, Truth, Justice"){{Cite web|url=http://www.samrainsyparty.org/en/|title=Sam Rainsy Party}}

| headquarters = Sangkat Veal Sbov, Khan Chbar Ampov, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

| ideology = Liberalism
Liberal democracy{{cite news|url=https://thediplomat.com/2022/04/how-the-candlelight-party-can-restore-political-pluralism-to-cambodia/s|title= How the Candlelight Party Can Restore Political Pluralism to Cambodia |work=The Diplomat|access-date=28 May 2022}}
Progressivism{{Cite web|url=https://www.voacambodia.com/a/cambodian-opposition-rises-from-the-ashes-ahead-of-local-elections-/6600956.html|title=Cambodian Opposition Rises from the Ashes Ahead of Local Elections|work=Voice of America|date=3 June 2022|accessdate=11 June 2022}}

| position = Centre to centre-left

| international =

| national = Alliance Towards the Future

| regional = Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats

| seats1_title = Senate

| seats1 = {{composition bar|0|62|hex=}}

| seats2_title = National Assembly

| seats2 = {{composition bar|0|125|hex=}}

| seats3_title = Commune chiefs

| seats3 = {{composition bar|4|1652|{{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}

| seats4_title = Commune councillors

| seats4 = {{composition bar|2198|11622|{{party color|Candlelight Party}}}}

| website = {{URL|candlelightparty.org}}, {{URL|https://candlelightparty.info/en/}}

}}

Image:Elections 40365 02072008.jpg during the 2008 election]]

The Candlelight Party ({{langx|km|គណបក្សភ្លើងទៀន}}, UNGEGN: {{Transliteration|km|Kônâbâks Phleung Tiĕn}}, ALA-LC: {{Transliteration|km|Gaṇapaks

Bhloeng Dian}} {{IPA|km|keanapaʔ pʰləːŋ tiən|}}){{cite news|url=https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110704/candlelight-party-amends-statute-congress/|title=Candlelight Party amends statue in Congress|work=Khmer Times|access-date=1 September 2018}} is a liberal party in Cambodia. The party was a member of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats, Liberal International, and the Alliance of Democrats. It is the largest opposition party in Cambodia, and the main challenger to the ruling Cambodian People's Party.{{Cite web|url=https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/20-na-seats-possible-candlelight-party-yara|title=20 NA seats possible for Candlelight Party: Yara|first=Sivutha|last=Nov|work=The Phnom Penh Post|date=8 June 2022|accessdate=10 June 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/opposition-candleligh-02072022084910.html|title=Opposition Candlelight Party gains steam in Cambodia in shadow of crackdown|work=Radio Free Asia|date=7 February 2022|accessdate=10 June 2022}} The party, which would have been the only competitive opposition party to the CPP, was disqualified from running in the 2023 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 the Khmer Nation Party,{{Cite web |title=Cambodia's Local Elections Have Ended Hun Sen's One-Party System |url=https://thediplomat.com/2022/06/cambodias-local-elections-have-ended-hun-sens-one-party-system/ |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US}} renamed the Sam Rainsy Party in 1998, and it was renamed the Candlelight Party in 2018. This party is currently the official opposition to the ruling Cambodian People's Party. Since the decline of the junior coalition partner, FUNCINPEC, in the 2008 National Assembly elections, the Candlelight Party is now considered the second largest party and the largest opposition party in Cambodia. 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 the Human Rights Party in the Democratic Movement of Change.

In 2008, party activist Tuot Saron was arrested on a charge of "being an accomplice to unlawful confinement".{{cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa23/006/2010/en/ |title=Cambodia Prisoner of Conscience Tuot Saron |date=September 2010 |publisher=Amnesty International |access-date=26 December 2011 }} International human rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International described the charges as a politically motivated attempt to intimidate other SRP activists.{{cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2008/03/22/cambodia-opposition-officials-arrested-sway-elections |title=Cambodia: Opposition Officials Arrested to Sway Elections |date=23 March 2008 |publisher=Human Rights Watch |access-date=26 December 2011}} Tuot Saron was released on 26 November 2010, following a Royal Pardon decree.{{cite web |url=http://cambodiantoday.blogspot.com/2010/12/tout-saron-srp-activist-and-amnesty.html |title=Tout Saron, SRP activist and Amnesty Int'l "Prisoner of Conscience", finally released from jail |date=15 December 2010 |publisher=Cambodian Today |access-date=26 December 2011}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/cambodian-politician-fined-15-mln-defamation-after-democracy-criticism-2024-07-25/ |title=Cambodian politician fined $1.5 mln for defamation after democracy criticism|date=25 July 2024 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=25 July 2024}}