Cambodia’s king appoints Hun Sen’s son as new leader
- Hun Manet was effectively gifted the PM post by his strongman father, who stood down days after a landslide victory in elections decried as a sham
- The 45-year-old and his cabinet will have to face a confidence vote in a parliament dominated by his ruling party to officially become leader
However, to officially become the country’s next leader, Hun Manet and his cabinet must win a confidence vote in parliament expected later this month.
The incoming government will usher in a crop of young ministers – with some taking posts vacated by their fathers.
While insisting he would not interfere with his son’s rule, Hun Sen has also promised Cambodians that he will continue to dominate the country’s politics.
Cambodia’s Hun Sen resigns as prime minister after 38 years
Having come to power in 1985, Hun Sen helped modernise a country devastated by civil war and genocide, although critics say his rule has also been marked by environmental destruction, entrenched corruption and the elimination of nearly all political rivals.
He also warned that should Hun Manet’s life be seriously endangered, he would return as prime minister.
While groomed for the position for years, the eldest son of Cambodia’s iron-fisted ruler remains untested in the political arena, analysts say.
And there are few expectations Hun Manet will chart a more liberal path than his father, despite being educated in England and the United States.
A member of the ruling party’s powerful permanent committee, he has been the Royal Cambodian Army’s commander since 2018.
Silenced by Hun Sen’s regime, famed Cambodian poet now slaves at noodle cart
After stepping down, Hun Sen will become president of the Senate early next year and acting head of state when the king is overseas.
During his years overseas, Hun Manet earned a master’s degree in the US and a doctorate in Britain, both in economics. He is also a graduate of the prestigious West Point military academy in the US.
Hun Manet has said little of his vision for the country. He won a seat in the capital, Phnom Penh, in the election.
Additional reporting by Reuters