What might be a more appropriate political theory or model which you can borrow as a lens in

doing political analysis in Cambodia? Justify your answer.

Cambodia has a very different political system. It is ruled by an elected monarch. Even though
the country has a parliamentary system, the government does not entertain other parties other
than the ruling party. For these reasons, Cambodia has a single leader for at least 35 years. It is a
one-party state with an electronic monarch. The government is a failure in providing adequate
jobs, ending poverty, providing education, etc. Poverty has made it is a fertile land for various
types of criminals. Cambodia incorporates a GDP (2009) of $10.8 billion, Per Capita GDP
(2009) of $731, and inflation (2009) of 4.5%. Garment, Textile and shoe manufacturers, rice
milling, tobacco, wood products, fisheries and fishing, papers, food processing, rubber, and
cement are the major industrial sector of the country, which hold 21.7% of GDP (2009 est.). The
country has been able to export value $3.9 billion in 2009 to its partners like the US, UK,
Germany, Singapore, Japan, etc. and has imported fuel, cigarettes, vehicles, consumer goods,
machinery worth $5.4 billion (2009). So, uneconomic policies, political stability, regional
economical processes and government openness (100% shareholding FDIs allowed) towards the
investment has attracted a growing variety of investors, because of that FDI has enhanced 12-
fold since 2004. Garments and tourism are the key business that drove the country’s economy
having sustainable 10% growth during 2004-2007. In 2009, during the global recession, it had
been near zero but is considered that it will gain momentum again in 2010. Infrastructure
doesn't seem to be but road networks are improving rapidly. Corruption and lack of legal
protection for investors are the two main reasons, which that can hamper economic opportunity
and competitiveness. The population of Cambodia (2008 census) is 13.4 million and 95% of
those have belief in Theravada Buddhism and the rest Islam, Christian, etc. Countries could be a
mixture of 90% Cambodians, 5% Vietnamese, 1% Chinese, and others 4% ethnic groups.
Cambodia incorporates a literacy rate (2007) of 75.1% and Khmer could be a maternal language
spoken by 95% of the population and English is increasing as a second language. Cambodians
mainly eat rice and fish and they are better known for silk and cotton weaving, silverwork, silver,
and gold jewelry and craft. Garment industries mostly comprised of feminine staff and the labor
cost is very low $50 to 80 per month (NPRS PRF article). Cambodia is much behind in their
technological sector. As most of the FDIs have entered the country, they have conjointly brought
their own technology with them, so the possibility of spill-over of the technological information
to the country can be seen. The quality of air has been adversely affected by industrialization and
urbanization. It results in health problems. As a result, there have been establishments of
environmental pressure groups, noise controls, and regulations on proper wastage control and
disposal. The Cambodian legal system relies mostly on the French civil system and is statute
based. The Constitution is the Supreme Law. The legal system has evolved from unwritten
customary law, rife during Angkorian times, to statutory law, under the French colonization
from 1863 to 1953 & up until 1975. Under the Communist Party of Kampuchea, from 1975 to
1979, the whole Cambodian legal system was destroyed. After the invasion of the Kingdom of
Cambodia by Vietnam in 1979, the Cambodian legal framework was influenced by the
Vietnamese system - in particular, contract law. During the presence of the United Nations
Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) from 1991 to 1993, various laws were enacted -
including criminal law, judicial law, and press law. As a result of foreign legal aid to legal and
judicial reform within the country, the Cambodian system also absorbed some common law
features. The current legal system is thus a hybrid system of these influences.