Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen says he will step down in 3 weeks and his son will succeed him

The long-standing leader of Cambodia, Hun Sen, announced on Wednesday that he would relinquish his role as Prime Minister in three weeks, passing the reins of power to his eldest son, who recently won a Parliamentary seat in Sunday’s election.

The news follows a sweeping victory for their Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in the recent weekend elections. This result has been scrutinized by Western nations and human rights groups who deemed the process neither free nor fair, especially considering the suppression of the main opposition.

Having held the reins of power for a solid 38 years, Hun Sen previously indicated that he intended to hand over the leadership to his eldest son, Hun Manet, during the upcoming five-year term.

Currently serving as the head of the country’s military, Hun Manet, 45, is set to assume the prime ministerial role once the National Election Commission verifies the final results of Sunday’s election. The CPP won an overwhelming majority with 120 of 125 seats. Hun Sen also shared that the new government, which is set to form on August 22, will feature a new generation occupying several key ministerial positions.

Despite his imminent departure from the prime ministerial role, expectations are that Hun Sen will continue to play a significant part in Cambodia’s governance, including taking up the presidency of the country’s Senate.

Following a narrow victory over the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) in 2013, Hun Sen took action against opposition leaders, culminating in the dissolution of the party by the country’s courts.

Before Sunday’s election, the Candlelight Party, perceived as the successor to the CNRP, was disqualified from the election based on a technicality by the National Election Committee.

Post-election, both the European Union and the United States voiced their criticism. The EU commented on the restricted political and civic space during the vote, hindering the opposition, civil society, and the media. The US went further, implementing visa restrictions and pausing foreign assistance programs, stating that the elections were neither free nor fair.

Hun Sen, originally a middle-ranking commander in the notorious Khmer Rouge, defected to Vietnam before the regime was toppled in 1979. He swiftly rose to a senior position in the new government set up by Hanoi.

Having held onto power within a deceptively democratic framework, Hun Sen has demonstrated his political cunning and ruthlessness.

Hun Manet is a well-educated individual with a degree from the U.S. Military Academy West Point, a master’s degree from New York University, and a doctorate from Bristol University in Britain. However, despite his Western education, analysts do not anticipate immediate policy changes following his father’s consistent alignment with China in recent years.

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More about Cambodian Prime Minister Transition

• Profile of Hun Sen
• Political History of Cambodia
• Cambodian People’s Party
• Cambodia’s Shift towards China
• Hun Manet’s Education
• Khmer Rouge