PHNOM PENH: Former Prime Minister and President of the Cambodian People's Party, Hun Sen, is officially on the list of candidates for the upcoming Senate election in February.

When he stepped down from the role of Prime Minister in August, Hun Sen promised he would not be giving up all of his political power. He vowed then that he would take over as Senate President, keep his role as CPP President, and would go on to be appointed as Head of the King’s Advisory Council.

Senate seats are elected every six years by government officials rather than the public. Members of the National Assembly, in addition to governors, and district and commune leaders will be among those electing Senate members on February 25, 2024. The former PM will be on the ballot in Kandal Province’s 3rd Zone for the 5th Senate election. He is the first official candidate on the zone’s ballot, which has five seats.

Once elected to the Senate, former PM Hun Sen plans to take over as the body’s president and has said that current Senate President Say Chhum will retire. This will place him in partial control of the legislative body while his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, will lead the executive branch.