Former Cambodian army commander enters government along with 9 new members

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.

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Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Drug Sniffing-Dog

Carton by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

From warloard to drug Czar: Can he be stronger than the king-maker?

Sacked General Approved as Drug Czar

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
12 March 2009

A special session of the National Assembly on Thursday approved the promotion of sacked army commander Ke Kim Yan to become Cambodia’s tenth deputy prime minister.

Ke Kim Yan was fired from his position as commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces in January, for pursuing outside business interests. As deputy prime minister, he will be in charge of the country’s counter-drug authority.

Ke Kim Yan and Prime Minister Hun Sen shook hands and smiled at each other, prior to Hun Sen’s delivery of a speech in support of the promotion.

“According to the needs of the government and to promote and improve the implementation of the government’s political program more effectively,” Hun Sen told lawmakers, “I would like to present to the National Assembly the newest 10 members of the government for the National Assembly’s vote of confidence.”

All 10 members were experienced, able and responsible, he said.

The National Assembly also approved for promotion one senior minister and eight secretaries of state.

Twenty-six members of the Sam Rainsy Party and three members of the Human Rights Party did not participate in the special session.

“The appointment of the new cabinet members is not necessary,” SRP spokesman Yim Sovann said Thursday.

“We didn’t participate in this meeting because we want to save our time to find recommendations to the government to solve the economic crisis, unemployment of garment workers, and the lack of sale of agricultural products,” he said. “This is better than voting to approve new cabinet members, which increase more and more the size of the government.”

PM: Ex-chief of Cambodian military forces to become deputy PM

PHNOM PENH, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Prime Minister Hun Sen has confirmed that former commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Ke Kim Yan will soon become deputy prime minister in charge of anti-drug trafficking, said English-language daily newspaper the Phnom Penh Post on Friday.

"In the near future, General Ke Kim Yan will be appointed deputy prime minister, and he will be chairman of the National Authority for Combating Drugs," the premier told the closing session of the annual conference of the Interior Ministry here on Thursday.

Once on Tuesday, Tea Banh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, told local media that "the government will send the request (of the appointment) to the National Assembly. When the National Assembly approves it, you will know."

If approved, Ke Kim Yan will become the government's 10th deputy prime minister.

The general has been without a position since being removed as RCAF chief by a Royal Decree on Jan. 22.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: My 10th Peanut-Monkey

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Sacked General Proposed for Deputy PM

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
04 March 2009

Gen. Ke Kim Yan, the former commander of the armed forces who was fired in January, will be given a position as deputy prime minister, pending parliamentary approval, officials said Wednesday.

Prime Minsiter Hun Sen fired Ke Kim Yan for improprieties in running a side business, instead of commanding the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, but officials say a proposal for his appointment to deputy prime minister will be made to the National Assembly.

Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh told VOA Khmer Tuesday there was “nothing strange” about the appointment, as Ke Kim Yan had served the military “for a long time.”

Ke Kim Yan served as commander-in-chief for three administrations. His sacking worried some over a split within the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, but one observer said the promotion to deputy prime minister indicated “peace and stability” within the government.

The military command shake-up comes as Cambodia prepares for continued cooperation with the US and set to host a multinational military exercise in 2010, Tea Banh said.

More than 10 countries, including the US, will participate in the exercises, a “heavy responsibility” for Cambodia, Tea Banh said.

Cambodia regularly sends troops on UN peacekeeping missions to Sudan and has joined military exercises with Mongolia and Bangladesh.

Reward for a CPP official involved in shady land deals: Deputy PM position - Bravo!?!?

Hun Sen requests ousted general appointed deputy PM: official

Wednesday, 04 March 2009
Written by Thet Sambath
The Phnom Penh Post

NEARLY two months after his removal as commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, General Ke Kim Yan has been tipped to become a deputy prime minister, a government official said, although mystery surrounds the nature and timing of the new appointment.

Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith told the Post by phone Tuesday that Prime Minister Hun Sen had "requested the appointment of Ke Kim Yan as deputy prime minister" and was "awaiting the approval of the National Assembly".

He said also that he hoped the appointment would put to bed "speculations" about a rift between Hun Sen and Ke Kim Yan.

"What Ke Kim Yan said is that he never lost confidence in his boss, meaning Hun Sen," Khieu Kanharith clarified later via email.

Lack of information

But Ke Kim Yan, who has been jobless since losing his post back in January to his former deputy, General Pol Saroeun, in what officials have described as a military "reshuffle", told the Post that he had "not been informed" of the new appointment and could not confirm whether it was true.

Likewise, Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said he had heard the news but could confirm only that it "might" be true.

Nguon Nhel, deputy president of the National Assembly, said similarly that he had not yet received a request from the government for Ke Kim Yan's promotion but that if and when the request came, the National Assembly's permanent committee members would hold a meeting to decide on the issue.

"If there is a request, the permanent committee members will have to hold an extraordinary session because parliamentarians are on vacation until the end of March," he said.

But an official at the Council of Ministers who spoke on condition of anonymity said he was preparing Ke Kim Yan's photos to put in a photo album of government leaders.

"We know he is being promoted to the post of deputy prime minister, so that's why we need to select his photos to put in the album," the official said.

Ex-chief of Cambodian military forces to become [10th] deputy PM [-Does Hun Sen need a deputy under each of his 10 fingers?]

PHNOM PENH, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The government has appointed former commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Ke Kim Yan as deputy prime minister, said English-language newspaper the Cambodia Daily on Wednesday.

"The government will send the request to the National Assembly. When the National Assembly approves it, you will know," Tea Banh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, told the paper.

If approved, Ke Kim Yan will become the government's 10th deputy prime minister.

The general has been without a position since being removed as RCAF chief by a Royal Decree on Jan. 22.