A battalion of Ministers ready for the re-assembly

Courtesy of Cambodge Soir

25th Sept., 2008

The new government, with about 200 members, will hold its first council under the supervision of Hun Sen who was once more re-elected Prime Minister. © DR Friday 26 September, some traffic jams are to be expected around the Bassac area. The first Council of Ministers of the new legislature will take place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pending the completion of the construction works of the new building donated by China. No less than 196 Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers of State, Ministers, Secretaries of State, without counting Deputy Secretaries of State who’ll be nominated at a later date by Hun Sen, will join, after the approval of the new government by the National Assembly on Thursday 25`September. Hun Sen, Prime Minister, was re-elected for a fourth mandate of five years. This time he’ll be surrounded by nine Deputy Prime Ministers, 16 Ministers of State and 34 Ministers, amongst which eight delegates of the Prime Minister, joined by 119 Secretaries of State. Soon, about 200 Deputy Secretaries of State will join the list. All the ministers who are member of the CPP have kept their position, with the exception of Men Sam An, former Minister of Relations with Parliament and Inspection, who will become Permanent Deputy Prime Minister. She is being replaced by Som Kim Sour, former CPP deputy. Concerning Funcinpec, only Ing Kantha Phavy, Minister of Women’s Affairs, could save her position by opportunistically joining the CPP. Her colleagues have all been dismissed. Nut Sokhom, Head of the Ministry of Health, is being replaced by Mam Bunheng, former Secretary of State. Lu Lay Sreng is succeeded by former Phnom Penh Governor, Chea Sophara, at the Department of Rural Development. Finally, Veng Sereivuth passes on his position as Minister of Culture to Him Chhen, CPP member and former Secretary of State. Hun Sen will explain the outlines of his program to his new team on the occasion of the start of the new government.