Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, one of many world’s longest-serving leaders, mentioned on Wednesday that he would resign subsequent month and hand energy to his son.
Mr. Hun Sen, 70, made the announcement in a televised deal with, three days after his political celebration had declared victory in stage-managed parliamentary elections. He mentioned within the deal with that his eldest son, Gen. Hun Manet, 45, would succeed him and that the transfer wouldn’t violate any guidelines within the Nationwide Meeting as a result of his son can be a lawmaker.
In June, Mr. Hun Sen had mentioned that he would hand over the premiership to his son sooner or later after the vote. However he additionally made clear that he had no plans to retire.
“Even when I’m now not a main minister, I’ll nonetheless management politics as the top of the ruling celebration,” he mentioned on the time.
Mr. Hun Sen, who has held energy since 1985, mentioned on Wednesday that his son could be confirmed as the brand new prime minister by Parliament on Aug. 22, based on native information media.
His Cambodian Individuals’s Celebration was all the time a digital lock to brush the election on Sunday. His authorities has suppressed all significant opposition over time by jailing dozens of critics and shuttering dissenting information media retailers, amongst different techniques.
In March, a distinguished opposition chief, Kem Sokha, was sentenced to 27 years of home arrest on a treason cost and barred from operating or voting in elections. One other opposition chief with a excessive profile, Sam Rainsy, lives in exile in France.
Mr. Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge fighter, has lengthy maintained tight management of most of Cambodia’s establishments. In recent times he has used social media to strengthen his energy.
Weeks earlier than the current election, Mr. Hun Sen’s often very lively Fb went darkish after the oversight board for Meta, Fb’s dad or mum firm, advisable that he be suspended from the platform for threatening political opponents with violence. However a couple of days earlier than the vote, his account was reactivated.
