VZCZCXRO8874
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHPF #0671/01 1010716
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 110716Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6432
INFO RUEHZS/ASEAN COLLECTIVE
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1386

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000671 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; GENEVA FOR RMA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM CB
SUBJECT:  Cambodia's National Assembly Approves 
Opposition Inclusion in NA Commissions 
 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary.  The National Assembly approved on 
April 7 internal reforms that will allow the opposition 
Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) to chair two of nine National 
Assembly commissions and to have one deputy Secretary 
General.  The Assembly's internal rules were also 
modified to improve SRP participation in open debates. 
Cambodia's PM Hun Sen called the reforms a reflection 
of election results and national reconciliation.  End 
Summary. 
 
National Assembly Votes for 5-2-2 Formula 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  Following the National Assembly's approval to 
reform the chairmanships of its commissions, Cambodia's 
PM Hun Sen, who had attended the session, lauded the 
NA's decision.  "The division of the nine commissions 
is based on the 5-2-2 formula," Hun Sen told reporters 
outside the National Assembly.  "Of the nine 
commissions, the CPP will chair five, FUNCINPEC two 
commissions and the SRP two.  The division reflects the 
results of the 2003 elections, the democratic process 
as well as the national reconciliation." 
 
¶3.  (U)  Although FUNCINPEC still retains two 
commissions following the redistribution, the royalist 
party lost two important commissions - the Commission 
on Foreign Affairs and Information and the Commission 
on Interior, Defense, Investigation and anti- 
Corruption.  SRP parliamentarian Son Chhay will chair 
the Commission on Foreign Affairs that FUNCINPEC MP 
Princess Norodom Vacheara formerly chaired, and SRP's 
Yim Sovann will chair the Commission on Interior, 
Defense and Inquiry that FUNCINPEC MP Monh Saphan had 
chaired.  Monh Saphan will become the deputy chairman 
of the Assembly's legislative commission, while 
Princess Vacheara will remain a member of the Foreign 
Affairs commission.  FUNCINPEC's loss of the two 
commission chairmanships coincided with the NA's 
approval to add SRP MPs to all nine commissions.  Of 
108 MPs attending the session chaired by the NA's 
President Heng Samrin, over 90 MPs cast their secret 
ballots in favor of the inclusion of additional MPs 
into each of the commissions.  Former National Assembly 
President Prince Norodom Ranariddh, Princess Norodom 
Vacheara, Sam Rainsy, and Tioulong Saumura were absent 
in the session. 
 
¶4.  (U)  During the same session, the National Assembly 
voted on the RGC's proposed replacements for two 
secretaries of state.  PM Hun Sen nominated Tep Nonary 
 
SIPDIS 
(former governor of Kandal province) as Secretary of 
State for Interior to replace outgoing Kong Hunthirith, 
and Sim Son (former governor of Siem Reap) as Secretary 
of State for Rural Development to replace outgoing Dorn 
Samuon.  Ninety-nine MPs voted in favor of Tep Nonary 
and 97 in favor of Sin Son.  Following the vote, PM Hun 
Sen reaffirmed that the coalition government of the CPP 
and FUNCINPEC would continue until 2008 despite some 
personnel changes.  "It is not appropriate for the CPP 
to give up its coalition partner as the government 
needs human resources right now," Hun Sen said. 
"Though the CPP is able to form a government alone, it 
is not the CPP's desire to do so.  The constitutional 
amendments on the 50 percent plus one system are aimed 
to avoid a political deadlock.  Despite some 
reshuffling, the coalition still goes on until 2008." 
 
¶5.  (U)  The majority of the parliamentarians approved 
amendments to the NA's internal rules that will allow 
the Assembly to have additional deputy secretaries 
general and to remove the restriction that limited the 
ability of the opposition party to debate issues within 
the National Assembly.  Prior to the change, 13 MPs 
from any party were needed in order for one party 
representative to address the Assembly, according to a 
rule the CPP and FUNCINPEC had approved.  Given the SRP 
membership at 24 members, they could only form a single 
group for each session and have one voice.  The 
reduction to 10 MPs will allow the SRP to put forward 
two spokespersons for the opposition view, the same as 
FUNCINPEC.  In addition, based on a compromise between 
the CPP and the SRP, the SRP will receive a deputy 
secretary general post within the National Assembly. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Comment.  The National Assembly's action 
reflects a fulfillment of the Prime Minister's promise 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000671  002 OF 002 
 
 
to Sam Rainsy, allowing the opposition to play a 
stronger role in the affairs of the National Assembly. 
With respect to the Assembly's approval of two 
Secretaries of State (Tep Nonary and Sim Son), both are 
 
SIPDIS 
former FUNCINPEC governors recently removed in very 
public manner by the PM for alleged incompetence.  A 
senior opposition official has told us that their 
removals were due not to incompetence, but because the 
CPP wanted to place people in leadership positions in 
those provinces in order to help lay the groundwork for 
upcoming elections, and to ensure CPP victories in 
Kandal and Siem Reap (which are comparatively wealthy 
provinces).   End Comment. 
 
MUSSOMELI