Of eight “dynasty candidates” put forth by the Cambodian People’s Party earlier this year, only two will take seats as lawmakers once the National Assembly sits, according to final results released yesterday. The rest, however, will be given government positions, a spokesman told the Post.
With the ruling party having dropped from 90 to 68 seats in the July 28 vote, none of the eight won seats outright. But parties typically adjust their candidate list following the vote – and recognisable officials are often ranked far up on the list with the intention of later standing down.
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s son Hun Many was given a seat in Kampong Speu. At 31, he will be the youngest of 123 lawmakers to take a position at the National Assembly.
Sar Sokha, the son of Minister of Interior Sar Kheng, was moved into a seat in Prey Veng province.
But the rest of the group, which includes the sons of a deputy prime minister, RCAF deputy commander-in-chief and the Supreme Court president, will not be moved up.
Though they will not serve as lawmakers, however, the party has not dropped its commitment to injecting youth into its ranks.
“The others will take job[s] in the government,” CPP spokesman and Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith said yesterday, adding that information on what positions they would be given would be forthcoming.
Prime Minister Hun Sen has previously sung the virtues of bringing young and well-connected blood into the party.
“It is not about nepotism and partisanship, but there must be resumption [from their parents to children],” he said in April.
Political analyst Kem Ley said the party would be wise to focus on the practice.
“This is the first time they’ve appointed young people – Hun Many, Sar Sokha, for example, are the youngest among others. But there’s still very few. We need more like this – educated people, academic people holding degrees from outside and with different experiences.”
