Hun Manet: Appointment of Hun Many as Deputy Prime Minister is to be Effective in Reforming Public Administration

Posted on February 24, 2024

The Prime Minister, succeeding his father, Hun Manet, said that the appointment of his younger brother, Hun Many, as Deputy Prime Minister, in addition to the position of Minister of Public Works, was to give weight to the work on public administration reform alone, not because Hun Many is his brother.

The new Prime Minister, Hun Manet, said at the awarding ceremony of the model pub-lic service unit in the field of education and health on February 22, 2024 that the pro-motion of Hun Many is not because he is the brother, it is done according to the actual conditions, because the official who holds the position of Minister of Public Service, no matter who the person is, must be appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister to increase the work efficiency.

Hun Manet said that no matter who Hun Many is, as long as he is the Minister of Pub-lic Service, he must be appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister because this ministry will play a very important role and the Ministry of Public Service is the staff the Prime Minister shall directly lead the implementation of the reform of public functions that are relevant to all ministries and institutions.
The Prime Minister stressed that the need for reform is a priority, the government needs to increase efficiency, increase the role necessary, so the government decided to es-tablish another national committee headed by the Prime Minister directly on a number of reforms. Such as public functions, education, and health, in which the Ministry of Public Works underwent the largest reforms: public administration at the national and sub-national levels.

On February 21, 2024, His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni issued a Royal Decree appointing Hun Many as Deputy Prime Minister after the National Assembly voted to grant a vote of confidence at the request of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.

Former opposition leader Sam Rainsy wrote on his Facebook page on February 21 that the clan was intoxicated by the power they had robbed the Cambodian people in every way for more than 40 years. Assume that the legislature or the National Assembly must not be independent of the executive or the government.

Rainsy said Hun Sen, the father of Hun Manet and Hun Many, was preparing to take over as president of the Senate, the legislature, while his two children, Hun Manet and Hun Many, lead a government that is the executive branch, with one prime minister and one deputy prime minister.

The former opposition leader asserted that the clan was trampling on democratic prin-ciples that required a serious separation between the legislature and the executive, and that such actions showed that they were disrespecting the people. 17 million Cambodians considering that only their family can lead Cambodia, while this greedy family is leading Cambodia in a dictatorial and feudal way, contrary to today’s democ-racy.

As for the observer of the situation in Cambodia, Sok Sokun had recently said that the political leaders in Cambodia, especially Hun Sen, are just engaged in politics, finding a foothold for their own political life, and expanding power for the group, family, rela-tives, and allies only. He added that they are not involved in politics for the nation, terri-tory and for the peace of the Cambodian people.

In this regard, observers say that Hun Sen is preparing for Cambodia to become a dyn-asty of power through the consolidation of power, such as Hun Sen himself governing the party and top national institutions such as the legislature and the executive, and the judiciary, while Mr. Hun Manet manages the ministries, institutions, and units as Prime Minister.

The CPP has been in power for more than 40 years, and Hun Sen has already taken over Cambodia as the sole monopoly of his family. The dictatorship by robbing the people and destroying the nation will continue forever through his plan that he wants his children and grandchildren to rule Cambodia from now on.

Quoted from the Cambodia Daily