US Pledges to Continue Dialogue with Upcoming Cabinet
US Ambassador Patrick Murphy posed with outgoing Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn (right) and incoming FM Sok Chenda Sophea (left). Photo: Ambassador W. Patrick Murphy / Twitter
- By Teng Yalirozy
- August 15, 2023 11:56 AM
PHNOM PENH – While a new generation of ministers is set to take office next week, the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia reiterates its stance to strengthen bilateral relations between Washington D.C. and Phnom Penh, while working on promoting democracy and human rights in the country.
“We will continue efforts both to strengthen collaboration and to address areas of concern in the US-Cambodia bilateral relationship,” US Ambassador Patrick Murphy tweeted on Aug.14 along with a picture of him, outgoing Foreign Affairs Minister Prak Sokhonn and Sok Chenda Sophea, who is tipped to be his successor as head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC).
Hun Sen’s eldest son Hun Manet is set to take over the position of Prime Minister on Aug. 22, following a vote of confidence in the National Assembly, which is ruled by the Cambodian People’s Party.
Even though the new cabinet has not been officially announced, images posted on Hun Sen's and Hun Manet's social media accounts show that it will likely include a mix of current and new ministers, many of whom are the offspring of other current ministers or CPP leaders.
U.S. Embassy Spokesperson Katherine Diop said the U.S. remains devoted to the Cambodian people and their goals for a more affluent, democratic, and independent nation where all opinions are valued and respected and the sovereignty of the Kingdom is upheld.
“We do not endorse any political group or individual; we support the Cambodian people and their constitutional right to genuine multiparty democracy and fundamental freedoms,” she said, adding that the core of U.S. foreign policy in Cambodia and across the world is to promote democracy and respect human rights.
Hun Manet was announced to be the new Prime Minister of Cambodia only three days after the 7th Mandate General Election on July 23.
The Cambodian People's Party (CPP) won 6,398,311 votes, granting it 120 of the 125 seats in the National Assembly. The official results of the elections indicated that the CPP obtained 82.3 percent of the votes.
With 716,490 votes, the royalist party FUNCINPEC came second in the polls and took the remaining five seats of the Parliament’s lower chamber.
On July 23, the U.S. Department of State said the election was “neither free nor fair” and announced it has “taken steps to impose visa restrictions on individuals who undermined democracy and implemented a pause on certain foreign assistance programs.”
The next day, the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation answered back in a statement, saying that “the 2023 general election is a true reflection of Cambodia’s democratic maturity.”
