Hun Manet to assume office as Cambodia’s next premier | Photo: Reuters

Cambodia’s autocratic prime minister will hand over power to his son today.

Cambodia’s Army Chief Hun Manet is expected to be confirmed as the new prime minister by Cambodia’s national assembly. The 45-year-old Hun will take over from his 71-year-old father, Hun Sen, who has ruled his country for over three decades. 

The confirmation of the power transition will likely proceed without complications, given that the current prime minister’s party—the Cambodian People’s Party—controls nearly all seats in the legislature following last month’s landslide general election. The election was criticized as neither free nor fair, as the only viable opposition party was barred from running. 

Earlier this month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi became the first foreign leader to meet with Hun Manet in-person following the announcement of the handover. Cambodia is an important diplomatic partner to China and in turn relies heavily on Chinese economic support. 40% of Cambodia’s foreign debt is currently owed to China. 

Despite being in full control of the country’s legislative and executive branches, Hun will likely have to deal with several societal issues in the coming years. Cambodia remains a highly unequal country and ranks 150th in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index.