Author Predicts ‘Evolutionary’ Shedding of Cambodia’s Old Politics

Cambodia’s political system will likely undergo a period of gradual evolution toward more inclusiveness before it can reach an eventual transition of power, Sebastian Strangio, author of “Hun Sen’s Cambodia,” says. Strangio tells VOA Khmer’s Soeung Sophat in Washington that although the opposition’s strong performance in the 2013 elections shows changes are inevitable, Cambodia’s entrenched patronage system on which Prime Minister Hun Sen relies will make any fundamental reforms difficult. Cambodia’s younger generation will play a crucial role in such political changes, but that 18 months after the elections has primarily seen “old politics,” he said. (Soeung Sophat, Washington)