It was a change of power with an announcement: For years, long-term Prime Minister Hun Sen had set up his son as his successor – now the king of the Southeast Asian country Hun Manet has appointed the new head of government.
Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni has appointed the son of long-time Prime Minister Hun Sen as the new head of government of the Southeast Asian country. According to local media reports, General Hun Manet will be entrusted with forming the new cabinet in a decree signed by the monarch. The National Assembly still has to confirm the appointment – but the approval is considered a formality.
Son was set up as a successor for years
The 45-year-old was previously a member of parliament and commander of the Cambodian army. Hun Manet had attended West Point US Military Academy and studied in the West. His appointment as the new prime minister comes as no surprise: his father had built him up as his successor for years. Human rights activists compare the situation in the Southeast Asian country with that in North Korea and speak of a “hereditary dictatorship”.
The previous ruler wants to remain politically active
His father, Hun Sen, was in power for almost 40 years, making him one of the longest-serving heads of government in the world. Almost two weeks ago he announced that he would resign and hand over the baton to his eldest son. At the same time, however, the permanent ruler announced that he would continue to head his Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and that he would become Senate President in 2024.
Maintaining power in parliamentary elections
As expected, Hun Sen only secured his hold on power in the parliamentary elections on July 23. Thanks to massive repression before the election, the autocratic head of government had no competition to fear.
The only opposition party with real chances, the Candlelight Party, was banned from participating in advance. Politically, the country is effectively a one-party state – all other parties participating in the election are either allied with the CPP or are insignificantly small. According to the results, the CPP won 120 seats in the 125-member National Assembly in the general election.
The now 71-year-old Hun Sen once fought for the brutal Khmer Rouge under dictator Pol Pot, but later defected to the Vietnamese. In 1985 he became head of government in the kingdom.