Cambodian PM cancels plan to ban dual citizens from party leadership

Ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) President and Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday cancelled his plan to amend the election law to ban political party leaders from holding dual nationality.

"Through thorough consideration by the party's key leaders, we want to see a lot of participation, so the CPP decides to adhere to the stance of opening an opportunity for political party leaders, though they have one nationality or ten nationalities, to join the forthcoming elections," he said during the commemoration of the 37th anniversary of the Liberation Day.

The prime minister said the CPP welcomed the participation of all political parties in the 2017 commune election and the 2018 national election.

"We used to fight in the heavyweight category, we used to have one nationality, but we also open an opportunity for our citizens holding many nationalities to be political party leaders in Cambodia," he said.

Hun Sen made the statement after he announced on Dec. 28 that his party would amend the election law to bar Cambodians with dual citizenship from being political party leaders.