VZCZCXRO7554
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHPF #0544/01 0810804
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 220804Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6317
INFO RUEHZS/ASEAN COLLECTIVE
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1360

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 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000544  002 OF 002 
 
 
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