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 |
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

See also
Notes
- ↑ Ung Huy is by some sources considered to be Prime Minister rather than Sihanouk. [3]
- ↑ In January 1970, Sisowath Sirik Matak was acting Prime Minister.[14]
- ↑ 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]
- ↑ Independent from 18 March 1970.
- ↑ State affairs were managed by Sisowath Sirik Matak.[16]
- ↑ Despite Lon Nol's resignation, he was on paper still Prime Minister until c. 27 June 1971.[17]
- ↑ Acting from 11 March 1971 until c. 20 April 1971.[19][20]
- ↑ During a short time on 26 December 1984, the office was vacant.[23]
References
- ↑ "PM office 'first held power with Pol Pot". The Phnom Penh Post. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ Cambodia, 3 October 1945: Independence Democracy
- ↑ "The History of Cambodia". Justin J. Corfield. 2009.
- ↑ "Cambodia, a Shattered Society". Martin Marie Alexandrine. 1994.
- ↑ "The Road to Khmer Independence". Kenneth T. So and Monireak Keo.
- ↑ [4][5][6]
- ↑ "The History of Cambodia". Justin J. Corfield. 2009.
- ↑ "Cambodia, a Shattered Society". Martin Marie Alexandrine. 1994.
- ↑ "The Road to Khmer Independence". Kenneth T. So and Monireak Keo.
- ↑ [8][9][10]
- ↑ "M. PHO PROEUNG CHARGÉ DE FORMER LE GOUVERNEMENT KHMER". Le Monde. 19 April 1960.
- ↑ "Newspaper from 30 June 2026".
- ↑ "The Coup: Opportunities for Nixon and the Khmer Rouge".
- ↑ "Cambodian Chief revamps cabinet broader base on objective move". New York Times. 2 July 1970.
- ↑ "Why They Call Lon Nol 'The Mayor Of Pnompenh'". New York Times. 27 June 1971.
- ↑ "Why They Call Lon Nol 'The Mayor Of Pnompenh'". New York Times. 27 June 1971.
- ↑ "Lon Nol Resigns, Blaming Health", The New York Times, 20 April 1971, p1
- ↑ "Lon Nol Resigns, Blaming Health", The New York Times, 20 April 1971, p1
- ↑ New York Times, 11 February 1971, New York Times, 20 April 1971, New York Times, 7 May 1971, New York Times, 11 March 1972.
- ↑ Times, Fox Butterfield Special to The New York (19 March 1972). "Lon. Not Names a Cambodian Premier". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
- ↑ "Chan Sy Is Confirmed As Cambodia Premier". New York Times. 11 February 1982.
- ↑ "36 Years On, Hun Sen Faces His Final Challenge". Voice of America. 2021.
- ↑ "Cambodia". rulers.org. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ↑ 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.
