The prime minister of Cambodia (Khmer: នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី, UNGEGN: Néayôk Rôdthâmôntrei, pronounced [niəjuək rɔəttʰamɔntrəj]; literally 'chief minister') is the head of government of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The prime minister is also the chairman of the Council of Ministers, and represents the government at home and abroad. Under the current constitution, the prime minister is elected to a five-year term, with no limits imposed on the office. Since 1945, there have been 37 prime ministers, including 4 who served in acting capacity.[1]

Constitutionally the prime minister is required to be a member of the National Assembly. He must also gain their approval through a resolution before an official appointment by the King can take place. The traditional swearing-in ceremony takes place at the Royal Palace where the prime minister-elect has to take an oath of office in front of the King and the two Patriarch monks.

The current prime minister of Cambodia is Hun Manet, since 22 August 2023.[2]

List of officeholders

Political parties
Other factions
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Party Election Cabinet Head of state
(Reign/Tenure)
Took office Left office Time in office
Kingdom of Kampuchea (1945)
1 King
Norodom Sihanouk
នរោត្តម សីហនុ
(1922–2012)[a]
18 March
1945
13 August
1945
148 days Independent Sihanouk I
King
Norodom Sihanouk
(1941–1955)
2 Sơn Ngọc Thành
សឹង ង៉ុក ថាញ់
(1908–1977)
14 August
1945
16 October
1945
63 days Independent Thành I
French protectorate of Cambodia (1945–1953)
3 Prince
Sisowath Monireth
ស៊ីសុវត្ថិ មុន្នីរ៉េត
(1909–1975)
17 October
1945
15 December
1946
1 year, 59 days Independent Monireth
4 Prince
Sisowath Youtevong
ស៊ីសុវត្ថិ យុត្តិវង្ស
(1913–1947)
15 December
1946
17 July
1947 #
214 days Democratic 1946 Youtevong
5 Prince
Sisowath Watchayavong
ស៊ីសុវត្ថិ វឌ្ឍឆាយាវង្ស
(1891–1972)
25 July
1947
20 February
1948
210 days Democratic Watchayavong
6 Chhean Vam
ឈាន វម
(1916–2000)
20 February
1948
14 August
1948
176 days Democratic 1947 Vam
7 Sâmdéch
Penn Nouth
ប៉ែន នុត
(1906–1985)
15 August
1948
21 January
1949
159 days Democratic Nouth I
8 Yem Sambaur
យ៉ែម សំបូរ
(1913–1989)
12 February
1949
20 September
1949
220 days National Recovery Party[7] Sambaur I
9 Ieu Koeus
អៀវ កើស
(1905–1950)
20 September
1949
29 September
1949
9 days Democratic Koeus
(8) Yem Sambaur
យ៉ែម សំបូរ
(1913–1989)
29 September
1949
28 April
1950
211 days National Recovery Party[11] Sambaur II
(1) King
Norodom Sihanouk
នរោត្តម សីហនុ
(1922–2012)
28 April
1950
30 May
1950
32 days Independent Sihanouk II
10 Prince
Sisowath Monipong
ស៊ីសុវត្ថិ មុនីពង្ស
(1912–1956)
30 May
1950
3 March
1951
277 days Independent Monipong
11 Oum Chheang Sun
អ៊ុំ ឈាងស៊ុន
(1900–1963)
3 March
1951
12 October
1951
223 days Democratic Sun I
12 Huy Kanthoul
ហ៊ុយ កន្ធុល
(1909–1991)
13 October
1951
15 June
1952
246 days Democratic 1951 Kanthoul
(1) King
Norodom Sihanouk
នរោត្តម សីហនុ
(1922–2012)
15 June
1952
24 January
1953
223 days Independent Sihanouk III
(7) Sâmdéch
Penn Nouth
ប៉ែន នុត
(1906–1985)
24 January
1953
9 November
1953
289 days Democratic Nouth II
Kingdom of Cambodia / State of Cambodia (1953–1970)
(7) Sâmdéch
Penn Nouth
ប៉ែន នុត
(1906–1985)
9 November
1953
22 November
1953
13 days Democratic Nouth II
13 Chan Nak
ចាន់ ណាក់
(1892–1954)
23 November
1953
7 April
1954
135 days Independent Nak
(1) King
Norodom Sihanouk
នរោត្តម សីហនុ
(1922–2012)
7 April
1954
18 April
1954
11 days Independent Sihanouk IV
(7) Sâmdéch
Penn Nouth
ប៉ែន នុត
(1906–1985)
18 April
1954
26 January
1955
283 days Democratic Nouth III
14 Leng Ngeth
ឡេង ង៉ែត
(1900–1975)
26 January
1955
25 September
1955
242 days Democratic Ngeth

King
Norodom Suramarit
(1955–1960)
(1) Prince
Norodom Sihanouk
នរោត្តម សីហនុ
(1922–2012)
25 September
1955
4 January
1956
101 days Sangkum 1955 Sihanouk V
(11) Oum Chheang Sun
អ៊ុំ ឈាងស៊ុន
(1900–1963)
4 January
1956
29 February
1956
56 days Sangkum Sun II
(1) Prince
Norodom Sihanouk
នរោត្តម សីហនុ
(1922–2012)
1 March
1956
24 March
1956
23 days Sangkum Sihanouk VI
15 Khim Tit
ឃឹម ទិត
(1896–1975)
3 April
1956
29 July
1956
117 days Sangkum Tit
(1) Prince
Norodom Sihanouk
នរោត្តម សីហនុ
(1922–2012)
15 September
1956
15 October
1956
30 days Sangkum Sihanouk VII
16 San Yun
សាន យន់
(1905–1974)
25 October
1956
7 April
1957
164 days Sangkum Yun
(1) Prince
Norodom Sihanouk
នរោត្តម សីហនុ
(1922–2012)
7 April
1957
7 July
1957
91 days Sangkum Sihanouk VIII
17 Sim Var
ស៊ឹម វ៉ា
(1906–1989)
26 July
1957
11 January
1958
169 days Sangkum Var I
18 Ek Yi Oun
ឯក យីអ៊ុន
(1910–2013)
11 January
1958
16 January
1958
5 days Sangkum Oun
(7) Sâmdéch
Penn Nouth
ប៉ែន នុត
(1906–1985)
16 January
1958
24 April
1958
98 days Sangkum Nouth IV
(17) Sim Var
ស៊ឹម វ៉ា
(1906–1989)
24 April
1958
12 July
1958
79 days Sangkum 1958 Var II
(1) Prince
Norodom Sihanouk
នរោត្តម សីហនុ
(1922–2012)
12 July
1958
12 April
1960
1 year, 275 days Sangkum Sihanouk IX

Prince
Norodom Sihanouk
(1960–1970)
19 Pho Proeung
ផូ ព្រឿង
(1903–1975)
18 April
1960[12]
16 January
1961
273 days Independent Proeung I
Proeung II[13]
(7) Sâmdéch
Penn Nouth
ប៉ែន នុត
(1906–1985)
28 January
1961
17 November
1961
293 days Sangkum Nouth V
(1) Prince
Norodom Sihanouk
នរោត្តម សីហនុ
(1922–2012)
17 November
1961
13 February
1962
88 days Sangkum Sihanouk X
General
Nhiek Tioulong
ញឹក ជូឡុង
(1908–1996)
Acting
13 February
1962
6 August
1962
174 days Sangkum Sihanouk X
Sâmdéch
Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum
ចៅ សែនកុសល
(1905–2009)
Acting
6 August
1962
6 October
1962
61 days Sangkum Sihanouk X
20 Prince
Norodom Kantol
នរោត្តម កន្តុល
(1920–1976)
6 October
1962
25 October
1966
4 years, 19 days Sangkum 1962 Kantol
21 Marshal
Lon Nol
លន់ នល់
(1913–1985)
25 October
1966
1 May
1967
188 days Sangkum /
Military
1966 Nol I
22 Sâmdéch
Son Sann
សឺន សាន
(1911–2000)
1 May
1967
31 January
1968
275 days Sangkum Sann
(7) Sâmdéch
Penn Nouth
ប៉ែន នុត
(1906–1985)
31 January
1968
14 August
1969
1 year, 195 days Sangkum Nouth VI
(21) Marshal
Lon Nol
លន់ នល់
(1913–1985)[b][c]
14 August
1969
9 October
1970
1 year, 56 days Sangkum[d] /
Military
Nol II

Cheng Heng
(1970–1972)
Khmer Republic (1970–1975)
(21) Marshal
Lon Nol
លន់ នល់
(1913–1985)[e][f]
9 October
1970
20 April
1971[18]
193 days Military Nol II
Prince
Sisowath Sirik Matak
ស៊ីសុវត្ថិ សិរិមតៈ
(1914–1975)[g]
11 March
1971
c.20 April
1971
c.40 days Military Nol II
23 c.20 April
1971
18 March
1972
c.333 days Matak

President
Lon Nol
(1972–1975)
(2) Sơn Ngọc Thành
សឹង ង៉ុក ថាញ់
(1908–1977)
18 March
1972[21]
15 October
1972
211 days Khmer Serei Thành II
24 Hang Thun Hak
ហង្ស ធុនហាក់
(1926–1975)
15 October
1972
6 May
1973
203 days PRS 1972 Hak
25 In Tam
អ៊ិន តាំ
(1916–2006)
6 May
1973
9 December
1973
217 days Democratic Tam
26 Long Boret
ឡុង បូរ៉េត
(1933–1975)
26 December
1973
17 April
1975 Executed
1 year, 112 days PRS Boret
Kampuchea / Democratic Kampuchea (1975–1979)
(7) Sâmdéch
Penn Nouth
ប៉ែន នុត
(1906–1985)
17 April
1975
4 April
1976
353 days FUNK Nouth VII
Prince
Norodom Sihanouk
(1975–1976)
Khieu Samphan
ខៀវ សំផន
(born 1931)
Acting
4 April
1976
14 April
1976
10 days CPK Nouth VII

Khieu Samphan
(1976–1979)
27 Pol Pot
ប៉ុល ពត
(1925–1998)
14 April
1976
27 September
1976
166 days CPK 1976 Pot I
Nuon Chea
នួន ជា
(1926–2019)
Acting
27 September
1976
25 October
1976
28 days CPK Pot I
(27) Pol Pot
ប៉ុល ពត
(1925–1998)
25 October
1976
7 January
1979
2 years, 74 days CPK Pot II
Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Council Government / People's Republic of Kampuchea / State of Cambodia (1979–1992)
Office vacant: 8 January 1979 – 27 June 1981
Heng Samrin
(1979–1992)
28 Pen Sovann
ប៉ែន សុវណ្ណ
(1936–2016)
27 June
1981
5 December
1981
161 days KPRP 1981 Sovan
Chan Sy
ចាន់ ស៊ី
(1932–1984)
5 December
1981
11 February
1982
68 days KPRP Sovan
29 11 February
1982[22]
26 December
1984 #
2 years, 319 days Sy
Sâmdéch
Hun Sen
ហ៊ុន សែន
(born 1952)[h]
26 December
1984
14 January
1985
19 days KPRP
CPP
Sy
30 14 January
1985
28 February
1992
7 years, 45 days Sen I
UN–administered Cambodia (1992–1993)
(30) Sâmdéch
Hun Sen
ហ៊ុន សែន
(born 1952)
Prime Minister (1992–1993)
Second Prime Minister (1993)
28 February
1992
24 September
1993
1 year, 208 days CPP Sen I
Ranariddh/Sen

Heng Samrin
(1979–1992)

Chea Sim
(1992–1993)

Prince
Norodom Sihanouk
(1993)
31 Prince
Norodom Ranariddh
នរោត្តម រណឫទ្ធិ
(1944–2021)
First Prime Minister
2 July
1993
24 September
1993
84 days FUNCINPEC Ranariddh/Sen
Kingdom of Cambodia (1993–present)
(31) Prince
Norodom Ranariddh
នរោត្តម រណឫទ្ធិ
(1944–2021)
First Prime Minister
24 September
1993
6 August
1997
3 years, 316 days FUNCINPEC 1993 Ranariddh/Sen
King
Norodom Sihanouk
(1993–2004)
(30) Sâmdéch
Hun Sen
ហ៊ុន សែន
(born 1952)
Second Prime Minister
24 September
1993
30 November
1998
5 years, 67 days CPP Ranariddh/Sen
Huot/Sen
32 Ung Huot
អ៊ឹង ហួត
(born 1945)
First Prime Minister
6 August
1997
30 November
1998
1 year, 116 days FUNCINPEC Huot/Sen
(30) Sâmdéch
Hun Sen
ហ៊ុន សែន
(born 1952)
30 November
1998
22 August
2023
24 years, 265 days CPP 1998 Sen II
2003 Sen III

King
Norodom Sihamoni
(since 2004)
2008 Sen IV
2013 Sen V
2018 Sen VI
33 Sâmdéch
Hun Manet
ហ៊ុន ម៉ាណែត
(born 1977)
22 August
2023
Incumbent 2 years, 358 days CPP 2023 Manet
Sources:[24][25]

Timeline

Hun ManetUng HuotNorodom RanariddhHun SenChan SyPen SovannNuon CheaPol PotKhieu SamphanLong BoretIn TamHang Thun HakSisowath Sirik MatakSon SannLon NolNorodom KantolChau Sen Cocsal ChhumNhiek TioulongPho ProeungEk Yi OunSim VarSan YunKhim TitLeng NgethChan NakHuy KanthoulOum Chheang SunSisowath MonipongIeu KoeusYem SambaurPenn NouthChhean VamSisowath WatchayavongSisowath YoutevongSisowath MonirethSơn Ngọc ThànhNorodom Sihanouk

See also

Notes

  1. Ung Huy is by some sources considered to be Prime Minister rather than Sihanouk. [3]
  2. In January 1970, Sisowath Sirik Matak was acting Prime Minister.[14]
  3. While Lon Nol was Prime Minister, he was only in charge of military affairs, while his deputy Sisowath Sirik Matak was in charge of administrative and diplomatic affairs.[15]
  4. Independent from 18 March 1970.
  5. State affairs were managed by Sisowath Sirik Matak.[16]
  6. Despite Lon Nol's resignation, he was on paper still Prime Minister until c.27 June 1971.[17]
  7. Acting from 11 March 1971 until c.20 April 1971.[19][20]
  8. During a short time on 26 December 1984, the office was vacant.[23]

References

  1. "PM office 'first held power with Pol Pot". The Phnom Penh Post. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  2. "King issues Royal Decree appointing new Council of Ministers with HE Dr. Hun Manet as Prime Minister". Khmer Times. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  3. Cambodia, 3 October 1945: Independence Democracy
  4. "The History of Cambodia". Justin J. Corfield. 2009.
  5. "Cambodia, a Shattered Society". Martin Marie Alexandrine. 1994.
  6. "The Road to Khmer Independence". Kenneth T. So and Monireak Keo.
  7. [4][5][6]
  8. "The History of Cambodia". Justin J. Corfield. 2009.
  9. "Cambodia, a Shattered Society". Martin Marie Alexandrine. 1994.
  10. "The Road to Khmer Independence". Kenneth T. So and Monireak Keo.
  11. [8][9][10]
  12. "M. PHO PROEUNG CHARGÉ DE FORMER LE GOUVERNEMENT KHMER". Le Monde. 19 April 1960.
  13. "Newspaper from 30 June 2026".
  14. "The Coup: Opportunities for Nixon and the Khmer Rouge".
  15. "Cambodian Chief revamps cabinet broader base on objective move". New York Times. 2 July 1970.
  16. "Why They Call Lon Nol 'The Mayor Of Pnompenh'". New York Times. 27 June 1971.
  17. "Why They Call Lon Nol 'The Mayor Of Pnompenh'". New York Times. 27 June 1971.
  18. "Lon Nol Resigns, Blaming Health", The New York Times, 20 April 1971, p1
  19. "Lon Nol Resigns, Blaming Health", The New York Times, 20 April 1971, p1
  20. New York Times, 11 February 1971, New York Times, 20 April 1971, New York Times, 7 May 1971, New York Times, 11 March 1972.
  21. Times, Fox Butterfield Special to The New York (19 March 1972). "Lon. Not Names a Cambodian Premier". The New York Times via NYTimes.com.
  22. "Chan Sy Is Confirmed As Cambodia Premier". New York Times. 11 February 1982.
  23. "36 Years On, Hun Sen Faces His Final Challenge". Voice of America. 2021.
  24. "Cambodia". rulers.org. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  25. Lentz, Harris M. (2013). Heads of States and Governments Since 1945. Taylor & Francis Group. pp. 132–138. ISBN 978-1-884964-44-2. Retrieved 20 June 2020.