It Is The Right Time To Leave, Reconfirms Samdech Techo Hun Sen
Phnom Penh, August 22, 2023 --
Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, former Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, said this is the right time for him and his colleagues to leave office as the number of votes in favour of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) rose to more than 82 percent at the National Election on July 23, 2023.
“I would like to repeat that from Jan. 14, 1985 to Aug. 22, 2023, I held the post of Prime Minister for 38 years, 7 months, 8 days, or 463 months or 2,014 weeks or 14,099 days, therefore this is the right time for me to leave and for the successor to take office,” he underlined at a press conference held here at the National Assembly (NA) Palace this morning, following the first session of the 7th Legislature of NA.
This is not a coincidence, but a plan that has been known since 2021, he added.
Besides, Samdech Techo Hun Sen also rejected a criticism saying that he transferred the position, but not the power.
“This is a foolish idea. It is impossible to hold the hand of Prime Minister to sign. I think that the new cabinet ministers are flexible enough. I am sure that they have enough potential to achieve the country’s goal of becoming an upper middle-income economy by 2030 and a high-income nation by 2050,” he stressed.
Moreover, Samdech Techo Hun Sen expressed his hope that the new government will continue to maintain peace and political stability and Cambodia will successfully graduate from the least development country status.
In his speech after the NA approved its structure and casted its vote of confidence for the members of the new Royal Government of Cambodia, H.E. Kitti Tesaphibal Pundit Hun Manet expressed thanks to His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, and other leaders for having confidence in the new government and for entrusting it with this fateful mission to serve the nation, to respond to the needs and wishes of the Cambodian people, and to return their unwavering supports for the CPP's leadership and policies.
The recent election on July 23, 2023 was free, fair, just and transparent with more than 8.2 million people voted, which was about 84.59 percent of the population on the NEC’s voter list, of those who voted, 82.3 percent supported the CPP, he said.
H.E. Kitti Tesaphibal Pundit Hun Manet added that this is a high turnout rate compared to other elections in recent history, both for Cambodia itself and for many other countries around the world.
This high turnout rate underscores the strong will of most Cambodian people who exercised their Constitution’s civil rights to entrust their country to political parties and leaders to lead along the path of democracy and the rule of law, he pointed out.
“This is also a clear testimony, highlighting our nation’s peace-loving spirit that firmly supports the principles of liberal democracy, pluralism, and the rule of law, as stated in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia. This also reflects the outright rejection of most Cambodian people against the brazen acts that tried luring their country away from the path of democracy and the rule of law, as well as any treacherous attempts to incite, provoke and instigate their contempt which endanger their nation,” he underlined.
In addition, H.E. Kitti Tesaphibal Pundit Hun Manet said, the result of the July 23 election reflects the strong will and overwhelming supports of the citizens to see their country being led toward progressiveness and prosperity, through the path of peace, development and reform in all sectors. In this regard, the Royal Government of Cambodia of the 7th Legislature of the National Assembly is obligated to be relentlessly and energetically committed to fulfilling this historic mission of accelerating development and pushing for deeper and broader reforms.