Inside Cambodia’s ruling party, the CPP, there is never a guarantee of consensus amid the autocratic power and nepotism of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
The party’s more moderate elements, represented by the Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng – even though he publicly denies any divergence with the prime minister – do not systematically seek confrontation with the opposition and would even favor an understanding with the CNRP to consolidate a fragile democratic system. This more conciliatory position contradicts that of Hun Sen who decided on, and wants to maintain, the dissolution of the CNRP, the only opposition party, which he sees as a threat to his regime.
The CNRP scored 44 percent in the legislative elections of 2013, as in the commune elections of 2017, despite numerous irregularities in favor of the ruling party.
