Cambodia’s PM Hun Sen to Resign after Four Decades

One of the world's longest-serving leaders, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, said on Wednesday that he will step down from office next month and transfer authority to his son.

Three days after his political party claimed victory in rigged parliamentary elections, Hun Sen, 70, made the news in a televised speech. In the speech, he announced that his 45-year-old oldest son, Gen. Hun Manet, would follow him, adding that since his son is also a politician, the succession would not be in violation of any National Assembly regulations.

Hun Sen had stated in June that he will transfer the leadership to his son at some time following the election. But he also made it obvious that he had no intention of quitting.

At the time, he declared, "Even if I am no longer prime minister, I will still influence politics as the leader of the ruling party.

According to local news outlets, Hun Sen, who has been in charge since 1985, said on Wednesday that Parliament will confirm his son as the new prime minister on August 22.

His Cambodian People's Party was practically guaranteed to win Sunday's election. Over the years, his administration has silenced every significant opponent by imprisoning scores of them and shutting down opposing news organizations, among other measures.

On a charge of treason, famous opposition figure Kem Sokha was sentenced to 27 years of house detention in March and was also prohibited from running for office or casting a ballot. Sam Rainsy, another prominent opposition leader, resides in exile in France.

Former Khmer Rouge combatant Hun Sen has long exercised strict control over the majority of Cambodia's institutions. He has recently increased his authority through social media.

After the monitoring committee for Facebook's parent company, Meta, suggested that Hun Sen be removed from the platform for threatening political opponents with violence, his typically extremely active Facebook page went quiet weeks before the most recent election. But his account was reactivated a few days before the vote.