After almost four decades in power, the Prime Minister, Hun Sen, gave way to his eldest son Hun Manet, 45, who must be confirmed Prime Minister and his government by a vote in Parliament on Tuesday August 22.
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It is a formality in a lower house dominated by the PPC, the party of Hun-sen. The strong man from Phnom Penh will ultimately remain in charge as President of the Senate. He meticulously prepared this dynastic succession with his eldest son, Hun Manetsigning the authoritarian drift of the regime.
A month after legislative elections played out in advance, described as a sham of democracy after the exclusion of the only credible rival, the kingdom will witness the emergence of new faces in politics, younger certainly, but many sons and daughters de, from the ruling party and totally committed to the cause of Hun Sen.
Because the unsinkable head of government has deployed over the years a vast system of clientelism, by consolidating alliances between clans, through marriages between the children of the Cambodian elite. Many caciques of the regime in office since the 1980s or 1990s will thus give way to their offspring or to relatives of the business community, very often educated abroad, but who will remain loyal to the Cambodian People’s Party.
Also to listenInternational guest – Cambodia: Prime Minister Hun Sen cedes power to his son and “remains in a position of influence”
What leeway for Hun Manet?
Under the guise of maintaining peace and stability, and thanks to his nepotistic networks, Hun Sen will remain a central figure in the Cambodian political game and everything suggests that he will maintain the status quo in a deeply corrupt country under the influence of its Chinese neighbour. He therefore hands over to his eldest son, Hun Manet, educated in the West, while retaining a very strong influence.
What challenges await Hun Manet? Will he succeed in asserting his authority alongside a father and an all-powerful party? ” The Cambodia that Hun Manet inherits is a Cambodia that is apparently doing well, but which is still facing real problems, in particular multiple political factions, galloping corruption and very strong patronage networks.believes Sophie Boisseau du Rocher, associate researcher at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri). The first point for him to assert his legitimacy will be for Hun Manet to bring order to the ranks of the Cambodian People’s Party. We are already going to see if he manages to control the different currents and truly impose his authority. »
” All possibilities are open “, also believes the researcher. ” Then, one can quite imagine that he gets closer to the people, that he understands the needs of Cambodia today and that he imposes his own mark on power. It still seems to me that the fundamentals – the very strong personality of Hun Sen, the fact that he still holds the reins of power in a very strong way and the influence of China – will largely limit his room for maneuver says Sophie Boisseau du Rocher, associate researcher at Ifri.
Cambodia, a country that maintains a relationship “privileged» with China
Cambodia’s relations with Washington and China were a central issue for Hun Sen. What will it be with the son? “ Hun Manet has privileged access to the American general staff having studied at West Point. It is obvious that the United States will certainly also activate this channel. Now, it must be understood that both Cambodia’s economy, society and security are increasingly linked to Chinese proximity, deciphers Sophie Boisseau du Rocher, associate researcher at Ifri. It is clear that China will maintain this relationship described as “privileged” by Wang Yi when he came to Phnom Penh on August 13th. This is the first leader to go to the Cambodian capital since the appointment of Hun Manet, it shows that China wants to confirm its role as sponsor of Cambodia on the regional chessboard. So, there too, the games are open. Is the small margin that the United States and also Hun Manet have going to be activated? It is a question mark which is still open. »