“The July 23 election is just a day for Hun Sen to impose (his choices) onto the Cambodian people,” she said. A former Khmer Rouge commander who switched sides, Hun Sen has ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades. But in more recent years Hun Sen has turned increasingly autocratic – quashing dissent and jailing critics, forcing many to flee overseas. ‘Future prime minister’Political watchers say this Cambodian election will set the stage for Hun Sen’s transition of power to his son Hun Manet. Hun Manet walks past an honour guard during a military ceremony in Phnom Penh on June 18, 2020.

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