Cambodia's National Assembly Approves Cabinet

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000544

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS; GENEVA FOR RMA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV CB
SUBJECT: Cambodia's National Assembly Approves Cabinet
Reshuffle and New National Assembly Leadership


1. (U) Summary: Cambodia's National Assembly on March 21
approved the Royal Government's nomination of CPP officials
Sar Kheng and Tea Banh as Ministers of Interior and Defense
respectively, and FUNCINPEC official Nhek Bun Chhay as a
Deputy Prime Minister. The ballot also rejected the
nomination of FUNCINPEC official, Norodom Sirivudh, as a
Deputy Prime Minister. Also during the session the National
Assembly approved Heng Samrin and Nguon Nhel from the CPP as
the President and the First Vice President of the National
Assembly, and You Hockry from FUNCINPEC as the Second Vice
President. Chea Sim was re-elected as President of the
Senate on March 20. End summary.

New NA Leadership Elected
--------------


2. (U) In a full session the morning of March 21, the
National Assembly voted on the Royal Cambodian Government's
proposal nominating Sar Kheng from the CPP to be Minister of
Interior, Tea Banh from the CPP to be Minister of Defense,
and Prince Norodom Sirivudh and Nhek Bun Chhay, both from
FUNCINPEC, as Deputy Prime Ministers. In the confidential
vote, Sar Kheng received 111 votes, 110 supported Tea Banh,
and Nhek Bun Chhay got 106 votes. Sirivudh, who was not
present, received only 17 votes supporting his nomination,
with 90 opposed, 2 abstentions, and 2 invalid votes. The
reshuffle came after Prime Minister Hun Sen in early March
announced his intent to abolish the system of co-Ministers
for Defense and Interior to improve governmental efficiency.


3. (U) Following the cabinet change vote, the National
Assembly voted on its leadership. In a secret ballot, Heng
Samrin from the CPP received 110 votes to become the new
President of the National Assembly. Nguon Nhel from the CPP
received 107 votes for First Vice President, and You Hockry
from FUNCINPEC got 96 votes to become the Second Vice
President. The vote for leadership of the NA followed
Prince Ranariddh's resignation as NA president in early
March after PM Hun Sen criticized the party for corruption,
nepotism, mistresses, and incompetence. FUNCINPEC
originally nominated Princess Vacheara, Sirivudh's sister
and Ranariddh's aunt, as its candidate for the Second Vice
President post. When FUNCINPEC officials realized that the
CPP would not support Vacheara's nomination because of her
outspoken criticism of Hun Sen, the royalist party nominated
You Hockry. You Hockry said he was delighted for the new
post, and that it was higher than he expected. Following
the voting acting NA President Heng Samrin said the National
Assembly was pleased that Cambodia could resolve problems
peacefully and democratically.


4. (U) With the NA's vote, Sirivudh, a leading FUNCINPEC
official as well as a senior member of royal family, loses
his position in the RGC and holds no key position in his own
party. Nhek Bun Chhay said Sirivudh's loss of government
position would cause some problems for FUNCINPEC, without
elaborating what those problems might be, but stressed that
they would not be too serious. Talking to reporters outside
the National Assembly, You Hockry blamed FUNCINPEC's failure
on the 50 percent plus one formula. After going down from
58 NA seats in 1993 to 48 in 1998, and finally to 26 seats
in the 2003 elections, You Hockry said FUNCINPEC needs to
acknowledge its failure and called on party officials to
strengthen the party. (Note: A March 22 press report
indicates that Sirivudh has relinquished his role as
FUNCINPEC's interim President during Ranariddh's absence to
FUNCINPEC Secretary General Nhek Bun Chhay. The reason
stems from Sirivudh's plans to travel with King Sihamoni
outside Cambodia. End Note.)


5. (U) Asked by reporters if the removal of Sirivudh from
the government was part of a trend to remove members of the
royal family from the political arena, opposition leader Sam
Rainsy said it was an individual case that could not be
considered a general trend for FUNCINPEC. SRP MP Son Chhay
said members of royal family should stay away from political
involvement to protect image of the royal family. Royals
should promote social activities to benefit the people
rather than get involved in politics, he said. Prince
Vacheara, by contrast, told reporters that the CPP and SRP
are trying to remove royal family members from politics as a
prelude to getting rid of the monarchy.

New Senate Officers Elected
--------------


6. (U) The Senate approved its President and two Vice

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Presidents in its first session on March 20, which was
presided over by King Norodom Sihamoni. The new Senate re-
elected Chea Sim, Senator and the President of the ruling
Cambodian People's Party (CPP) as the President of the
Senate; H.E. Tep Ngorn, Senator from the CPP, as the First
Vice President; and Sisowath Chivan Monirak of FUNCINPEC as
the Second Vice President. Of 61 secret ballots cast by
attending senators, Chea Sim received 60 votes. Tep Ngorn
was elected as the First Vice President with 53 votes in
favor, 5 votes against his nomination and 2 abstentions.
Chivan Monirak, former First Vice President of the Senate,
received 51 votes in favor and 10 opposed.


7. (SBU) FUNCINPEC nominees for the Second Vice President
were reshuffled in the lead up to the election of Sisiwath
Chivan Monirak. Originally, Ranariddh appointed Prince
Norodom Chakrapong as the candidate, but FUNCINPEC
officials, particularly Nhek Bun Chhay, objected. Por Bun
Sreu was another FUNCINPEC nominee for the Second Vice
President, but he reportedly withdrew his candidacy prior to
the vote, paving the way for the election of Sisowath Chivan
Monirak.


8. (SBU) Comment: Senior members of the royal family
continue to lose key positions in both the government and
the party. The CPP, both directly and indirectly, is
working to distance members of the royal family from key
positions within the government as well as within the
FUNCINPEC party structure. This is not new; previously, the
CPP discussed passage of a law that would ban royal family
members from participating in politics. Recently, this
topic has resurfaced among CPP supporters. The current anti-
FUNCINPEC campaign being undertaken by the PM is not
directed so much at the party, but at individual royal
family members. It will be interesting to see how former
King Sihanouk handles FUNCINPEC senior officials during his
upcoming visit in May. End Comment.

MUSSOMELI