The beginning of dynastic rule. Hun Mant (right) and his father Hun Sen (Photo: Reuters)
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Wednesday he would step down and hand over power to his son next month, ending a nearly four-decade rule in the Southeast Asian country, which has been under sole rule in recent years.
"Hun Manet will become prime minister in the coming weeks," Hun Sen said in a televised address, adding that his son would be appointed by the king on Aug. 10. Parliament will approve the new prime minister in a vote on August 22.
Hun Sen, who led Cambodia for 38 years, spoke days after the ruling Cambodian People's Party won a sweeping election victory after a campaign lacking opposition support. He said he would remain chairman of the ruling party and a member of the National Assembly.
His son, Hun Manet, who rose to the rank of general in the army and was educated in the West, did not elaborate on his vision for the country. He won the seat representing the capital, Phnom Penh, in Sunday's election, which critics say were decided in advance after the government disqualified the main opposition party over a technical issue and threatened to punish anyone calling for a boycott.
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