Constitutional Day in 2024

When is Constitutional Day?

Constitutional Day is a public holiday in Cambodia on September 24th.

This day commemorates the proclamation of the constitution on this day in 1993.

History of Constitutional Day

When the name of one of your public holidays includes the word 'genocide' ('Victory over Genocide Day), that is a sure sign that the country has suffered from a traumatic history. In Cambodia, the country was brought to its knees by the infamous Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot in the 1970s. The despot's rule was followed by the Cambodian-Vietnamese War, which lasted until 1991 and the signing of the Paris Peace Agreements in October of that year.

An outcome of the agreements was that there would be a new constitution to help transition Cambodia into a modern, democratic country with a constitutional monarchy.

Prince Sihanouk signed the constitution into law on September 24th 1993, formally establishing the Kingdom of Cambodia. The Prince was elected King of Cambodia and sworn in on the same day.

Several countries around the world observe a public holiday for Constitution Day. This is often a politically driven observance designed to help drive acceptance of partisan changes. In the case of Cambodia, after centuries of hardship caused by invasions, occupations, and the genocidal Khmer Rouge, celebrating a modern constitution seems like a worthwhile reason to have the day off.

In 2019, the Cambodian government announced that it was reducing the number of public holidays from 28 to 22 starting in 2020. Constitutional Day has survived this cull and will continue as a public holiday going forward.