Cambodia undergoes historic transfer of power

The new head of government will be the general and the son of the former prime minister

In Cambodia, as a result of a historic transfer of power, the son of the longtime ruler of this Asian country, Hun Sen, General Hun Mane, becomes the new prime minister.

Cambodia’s newly elected parliament has confirmed military general Hun Mane as prime minister, completing a historic transfer of power in a rapidly changing country that his father has ruled for almost four decades.

Hun Mane, 45, who received a Western education, won the support of a majority of the National Assembly in a hearing broadcast live on television on Tuesday, according to The Guardian. He qualified for the job after winning a seat in last month’s parliamentary elections, which were widely criticized as bogus.

His father, Hun Sen, described by The Guardian as a former Khmer Rouge guerrilla and autocratic leader, has vowed to remain in politics in other positions for at least a decade.

A graduate of the West Point Military Academy in the United States, Hun Mane quickly rose through the ranks of the Cambodian armed forces and served as chief of the counter-terrorism department, deputy chief of his father’s personal protection unit, commander-in-chief of the army and deputy commander of the armed forces.

The new Cambodian prime minister is also highly educated, with a master’s degree from New York University and a doctorate from the British University of Bristol in economics, in stark contrast to his father, who had no formal education.

Little is known about Hun Mane’s vision of Cambodia, a country of 16 million people, few of whom lived under a leader other than his father.

His first months as head of state will be watched by Western major powers for signs of whether he favors a more liberal approach and improving Cambodia’s tense ties with the West, or plans to maintain his father’s “authoritarian” status quo, as The Guardian puts it. and stay in China’s sphere of influence.

Under Hun Sen, Cambodia moved closer to Beijing, benefiting from Chinese investment. After the election, which the United States condemned as “not free” and “unfair”, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a personal message of congratulations to Hun Sen.

Despite the power transition, analysts say Hun Sen will remain a powerful force. He will remain head of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and has stated that he will become head of the Senate and the King’s Supreme Council.