It was a stark shift after an election that many agree may have been the most free and fair in Cambodia’s modern history. Robertson noted there was far less violence and intimidation from the ruling party than usual, an assessment shared by commune chiefs who spoke with VOA Khmer.
Analysts say the meeting of the 800-plus-member central committee will likely be the culmination of Hun Sen’s decades of consolidating control within the party, though it also risks exposing rare public rifts between senior party leaders.