Former Cambodian army commander enters government along with 9 new members

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Monday, March 16, 2009

Phnom Penh (Cambodia), 07/07/2007. Military officials having their picture taken on the occasion of the inauguration of the new National Assembly. On March 12th, MPs placed their trust in recently dismissed former Cambodian army commander Ke Kim Yan, now appointed deputy prime Minister (Photo: John Vink / Magnum)

12-03-2009
By Duong Sokha
Ka-set

Already disparaged and criticised because it hosts more than 360 Ministers, secretaries of state and under-secretaries of state altogether, the Cambodian government will soon welcome ten new members. On Thursday March 12th, during a brief extraordinary session held at the National Assembly in the presence of rime Minister Hun Sen, 86 out of 87 MPs (one abstention) placed their trust in the newcomers. Among them, Ke Kim Yan, who was removed as Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) commander in chief by a Royal Decree on January 22nd after Hun Sen suggested the proposition, is now appointed “deputy prime Minister in charge of combating drugs”. The high-ranking official is now back in favour and becomes, as announced a week before, the tenth prime Minister of this excessive government. The session was ignored by the two opposition political formations, the Human Rights Party and the one led by Sam Rainsy, who had his parliamentary immunity restored a few days before the vote.