Kem Sokha MP |
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Vice President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party | |
Assumed office 17 July 2012 |
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President | Sam Rainsy |
Preceded by | Position established |
Minority Leader of the National Assembly | |
In office 5 December 2016 – 31 January 2017 |
|
Prime Minister | Hun Sen |
Deputy | Yim Sovann |
Preceded by | Sam Rainsy |
Succeeded by | Position abolished |
First Vice President of the National Assembly | |
In office 26 August 2014 – 30 October 2015 |
|
President | Heng Samrin |
Preceded by | Nguon Nhel |
Succeeded by | Vacant |
Member of Parliament for Kampong Cham |
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Assumed office 27 July 2008 |
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Majority | 81,637 (9.1%) |
Member of Parliament for Kandal |
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In office 28 May 1993 – 26 July 1998 |
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President of the Human Rights Party | |
In office 22 July 2007 – 17 July 2012 |
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Vice President | Son Soubert Pen Sovan |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Son Soubert |
Member of the Senate | |
In office 1999–2001 |
|
Preceded by | Seat established |
Succeeded by | Chhim Siek Leng |
Personal details | |
Born |
Tram Kak, Takéo, Cambodia |
27 June 1953
Political party | Cambodia National Rescue Party |
Other political affiliations |
Human Rights Party (2007–12) Independent (2002–07) FUNCINPEC (1999–2002) Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party (1993–99) |
Spouse(s) | Te Chanmono (m. 1980) |
Children |
Kem Monovithya Kem Samathida |
Alma mater |
University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (M.S.) Royal University of Law and Economics (LL.M) |
Profession |
Activist Politician |
Religion | Theravada Buddhism |
Signature | |
Website | Kem Sokha |
Kem Sokha (Khmer: កឹម សុខា; born 27 June 1953) is a Cambodian politician and activist who currently serves as the Vice President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). He served as the Minority Leader of the National Assembly from December 2016 to January 2017, and previously as the First Vice President of the National Assembly of Cambodia from August 2014 to October 2015. He represents Kampong Cham as its Member of Parliament (MP). From 2007 to 2012, Sokha was the leader of the Human Rights Party, which he founded.
Kem Sokha has a Master of Science in Biochemistry from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague, Czech Republic and a law degree from the Royal University of Law and Economics, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
His political career began in 1993, when he was elected a representative for Kandal; at that time he was a member of Son Sann's Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party. In 1999, he joined the royalist FUNCINPEC and subsequently elected a senator. He resigned from his Senate seat in 2001. In the 2008 elections, the Human Rights Party gained three seats in the National Assembly.
Kem Sokha is well known for his weekly town hall meetings at local level throughout the country. He was the first to introduce a free and open forum discussing issues concerning civic and political rights, as well as social and economic development, at village level in Cambodia. Kem Sokha is known for his non-violent, political tolerant policy standing on democratic and unity principles. His words are often quoted and repeated by ordinary Cambodians. His phrase "Do Min Do" (literal translation to English: "Change or no change") became the anthem for the Cambodia National Rescue Party's election Campaign in July 2013, which drew an unprecedented amount of youth participation.