BY LOR CHANDARA
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
More than 100 Funcinpec advisers and assistants of Prince Norodom Ranariddh will lose their jobs as a result of the prince's resignation from the presidency of the National Assembly, officials said on Tuesday.
Prince Ranariddh's 100-plus advisers were employed at the Assembly at a cost of some $300,000 per year, but were automatically terminated when the prince stepped down, said CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap, who is chairman of parliament's Finance and Banking Commission.
"Automatically, when the prince resigned, all his assistants also lose their posts and cannot claim their salaries...from the legislature's administration," Cheam Yeap said.
The prince had too many advisers, said Cheam Yeap, adding that the $25,000 paid each month to Prince Ranariddh's entourage exceeded the Assembly's monthly budget for all other advisers.
The Assembly had budgeted funds for only 90 advisers for the body's three highest officials besides Prince Ranariddh, Cheam Yeap explained.
One Funcinpec adviser said on condition of anonymity that Prince Ranariddh had a total of 104 advisers and assistants.
Assembly Acting President Heng Samrin has between 30 and 40 advisers, Cheam Yeap said, and Second Vice President Nguon Nhel has "a few" more.
'We have too many advisers for the leaders, so usually it is difficult," Cheam Yeap said, "but [Prince Ranariddh] has sentiment and pity on his people, so he has [hired] that many."
The National Assembly's 700-man payroll—plus administrative costs—totals $10 million annually, he added.
Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay called the Cambodian parliament "extravagant, but the least-efficient institution."
There are so many employees at the Assembly that many have no offices to work in, he said.
"In Cambodia, it became a business that leaders have too many advisers beyond their actual needs," Son Chhay said.
"This is a loophole, so that corruption and abuse of power happen here," he said.
National Assembly Secretary-General Kim San, a Funcinpec member, is also expected to be dismissed once the new Assembly president has been officially selected.
"The new secretary-general will be selected out of neutral persons," Cheam Yeap said.
Funcinpec lawmaker Monh Saphan said that he and other supporters of Prince Ranariddh have not given up hope that the prince will return to the presidency.
Funcinpec parliamentarians are signing a petition urging Prince Ranariddh to reconsider his resignation, Monh Saphan said.
"I want to plead with the prince to withdraw his resignation before it becomes official. We want him to stay on, because he has done good for the nation," he said.
Prince Ranariddh's Cabinet Chief Noranarith Anandayath, who was paid by the Assembly, said he was not surprised or troubled by the loss of his pay packet.
"I am happy to accept the fact. I am always poor and I live poor. I don't have a lavish life," he said.
Prince Ranariddh's 100-plus advisers were employed at the Assembly at a cost of some $300,000 per year, but were automatically terminated when the prince stepped down, said CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap, who is chairman of parliament's Finance and Banking Commission.
"Automatically, when the prince resigned, all his assistants also lose their posts and cannot claim their salaries...from the legislature's administration," Cheam Yeap said.
The prince had too many advisers, said Cheam Yeap, adding that the $25,000 paid each month to Prince Ranariddh's entourage exceeded the Assembly's monthly budget for all other advisers.
The Assembly had budgeted funds for only 90 advisers for the body's three highest officials besides Prince Ranariddh, Cheam Yeap explained.
One Funcinpec adviser said on condition of anonymity that Prince Ranariddh had a total of 104 advisers and assistants.
Assembly Acting President Heng Samrin has between 30 and 40 advisers, Cheam Yeap said, and Second Vice President Nguon Nhel has "a few" more.
'We have too many advisers for the leaders, so usually it is difficult," Cheam Yeap said, "but [Prince Ranariddh] has sentiment and pity on his people, so he has [hired] that many."
The National Assembly's 700-man payroll—plus administrative costs—totals $10 million annually, he added.
Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay called the Cambodian parliament "extravagant, but the least-efficient institution."
There are so many employees at the Assembly that many have no offices to work in, he said.
"In Cambodia, it became a business that leaders have too many advisers beyond their actual needs," Son Chhay said.
"This is a loophole, so that corruption and abuse of power happen here," he said.
National Assembly Secretary-General Kim San, a Funcinpec member, is also expected to be dismissed once the new Assembly president has been officially selected.
"The new secretary-general will be selected out of neutral persons," Cheam Yeap said.
Funcinpec lawmaker Monh Saphan said that he and other supporters of Prince Ranariddh have not given up hope that the prince will return to the presidency.
Funcinpec parliamentarians are signing a petition urging Prince Ranariddh to reconsider his resignation, Monh Saphan said.
"I want to plead with the prince to withdraw his resignation before it becomes official. We want him to stay on, because he has done good for the nation," he said.
Prince Ranariddh's Cabinet Chief Noranarith Anandayath, who was paid by the Assembly, said he was not surprised or troubled by the loss of his pay packet.
"I am happy to accept the fact. I am always poor and I live poor. I don't have a lavish life," he said.
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