Nhiek Bun Chhay and Norodom Sirivudh to lose their co-minister positions

According to Hun Sen's government streamlinign plan, Prince Norodom Sirivudh (top photo) and General Nhiek Bun Chhay (bottom photo), both from Funcinpec party, will lose their co-minister position of interior and national defense, respectively.

Cambodia's Hun Sen reshuffles Cabinet system

(Kyodo) _ Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Thursday he will streamline the system of co-ministers in his coalition government's Cabinet.

"We have to end the co-minister system because it is inefficient. For instance, paperwork that should be approved within one hour, instead it takes three days or one week to be finalized," he told reporters.

Since the U.N.-organized 1993 election, Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party and the royalist FUNCINPEC party have formed a coalition government in which co-ministers head the defense and interior ministries.

Hun Sen said Nhiek Bun Chhay, co-minister of national defense, and Prince Norodom Sirivuth, co-minister of the interior, will lose their posts but remain deputy prime ministers. Both are from the FUNCINPEC party.

The premier, however, said other ministers and secretaries of state from the FUNCINPEC party will not be removed until the 2008 election.

Observers and the opposition have criticized Hun Sen's government for having almost 200 Cabinet members, with many holding duplicate roles.