Prime Minister Hun Manet will have a motley crew of minister delegates attached to the prime minister, including a former and prominent civil society member, former Phnom Penh Police chief and other lesser known ruling party members.
The king signed a royal decree on August 22 appointing 29 minister delegates that will work and assist Manet with a variety of tasks assigned to each of them. The 29 include current CPP members, former government officials, and people from outside the ruling party system that have moved into the fold.
The most prominent former government officials are Long Visalo, former ambassador to Thailand; Phay Siphan, former government spokesperson; Ung Sean, former ambassador to the Maldives; and Chhuon Sovann, former Phnom Penh Police chief. Samheng Boros was a secretary of state with the government and is the son of former Labor Minister Ith Samheng.
Other active government officials serving Manet are Kong Vibol, director of the tax department and Kun Nhim, general director of customs and excise. Ek Sun Chan will also be a delegate minister after having led utilities suppliers Electricite du Cambodge in the early 1990s and then the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority till 2012.
Of the CPP officials, Manet can turn to Mam Sarin, chairman of the cabinet of the CPP’s central committee; Chhim Phal Virun, CPP spokesperson and former CCHR staffer; and Keo Baphnom, who is the chairman of the CPP’s historical research committee.
Baphnom is also known for writing a 601-page book about Hun Sen, which the former prime minister said would “reveal 70-80% of my secrets that most people did not know, and which I think are important to disclose now.”
For outsiders, Preap Kol retains his position which he got in May 2023, after he chose to join the government and the CPP. Kol was previously a prominent member of civil society when he headed Transparency International’s Cambodia office.
Jean-François Tain, who till recently was the head of Radio France International’s Phnom Penh bureau, will also be a minister delegate. The appointment came shortly after Tain left RFI and met with former Prime Minister Hun Sen this month.
According to the royal decree, the 29 minister delegates’ duties span security and legislation to communications with NGOs.
| Minister Delegates Attached to the Prime Minister | ||
| Name | Duties | |
| Mam Sarin | ម៉ម សារិន | In charge of assisting the prime minister on legislative issues. |
| Sry Thamrong | ស្រ៊ី ថាមរុង្គ | In charge of assisting the prime minister on international relations. |
| You Sunlong | យូ ស៊ុនឡុង | In charge of assisting the prime minister on security. |
| Som Soeun | សោម សឿន | In charge of relations between the government, political parties and civil society organizations. |
| Long Visalo | ឡុង វិសាលោ | In charge of any work assigned by the prime minister. |
| Sarak Khan | សារ៉ាក់ ខាន់ | In charge of any work assigned by the prime minister. |
| Ek Sun Chan | ឯក ស៊ុនចាន់ | In charge as vice chairperson of the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development. |
| Keo Baphnom | កែវ បាភ្នំ | In charge of any work assigned by the prime minister. |
| Kong Vibol | គង់ វិបុល | In charge as the director general of the general department of taxation. |
| Kun Nhim | គុណ ញឹម | In charge as the director general of the general department of customs and excise. |
| Hun Sitha | ហ៊ុន ស៊ីថា | In charge of any work assigned by the prime minister. |
| Sun Kunthor | ស៊ុន គន្ធរ | In charge as the vice chairperson of the Supreme National Economic Council. |
| Ung Sean | អ៊ុង ស៊ាន | In charge of any work assigned by the prime minister. |
| Phay Siphan | ផៃ ស៊ីផាន | In charge of assisting the prime minister on public affairs. |
| Chhim Phal Virun | ឈឹម ផលវរុណ | In charge of the Supreme Consultative Council. |
| Ngor Sovann | ង៉ោ សុវណ្ណ | In charge as the vice chairperson of the National Committee for Disaster Management. |
| Lam Heng Huot | ឡាំ ហេងហួត | In charge as the vice chairperson of the National Committee for Disaster Management. |
| Noranarith Anandayat | នរ៉ាណាឫទ្ធិ អានន្ទដាយ៉ាត | In charge as the vice chairperson of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council. |
| So Naro | សូ ណារ៉ូ | In charge of assisting the prime minister on Asean affairs. |
| Preap Kol | ព្រាប កុល | In charge of assisting the prime minister to communicate with national and international NGOs. |
| Samheng Boros | សំហេង បុរស | In charge of assisting the prime minister on the social protection system. |
| Chhuon Dara | ឈួន ដារ៉ា | In charge of assisting the prime minister on the trade sector. |
| Kim Bunthan | គីម ប៊ុនថាន | In charge of assisting the prime minister on national defense. |
| Chhuon Sovann | ជួន សុវណ្ណ | In charge of assisting the prime minister on security and public order. |
| Sok Saravuth | សុខ សារ៉ាវុឌ្ឍ | In charge of assisting the prime minister on economic and social affairs. |
| Pen Bona | ប៉ែន បូណា | In charge as the head of the government’s spokesperson unit. |
| Koy Pisey | កុយ ពិសី | In charge of assisting the prime minister on border affairs and tourism. |
| Jean-François Tain | តាន់ ហ្សង់ហ្វ្រង់ស័រ | In charge of assisting the prime minister on foreign affairs and international cooperation. |
| Rath Sandab | រ័ត្ន សណ្តាប់ | In charge of assisting the prime minister on historical and cultural affairs. |