Translation from Khmer:

Funcinpec, my dogs, they know how to guard the house
They know how to salute and walk on two legs
If you want to use them, you must give them a treat
Then they will walk on their two hind legs and wag their tails for you to see

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

Payoff time for Funcinpec and Nhiek Bun Chhay ... for service rendered to the CPP

Hun Sen offers Funcinpec posts in gov’t

Wednesday, 06 August 2008
Ly Menghour
The Mekong Times

Prime Minister Hun Sen told Funcinpec President Keo Puth Reasmey yesterday that his Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) will offer five top posts and some lower-level positions in the new government to Funcipec officials.

Speaking at Phnom Penh International Airport during a farewell ceremony for the Kuwaiti premier, Hun Sen said he would give top positions to Funcinpec Secretary General Nhiek Bun Chhay; Minister of Health Nuth Sokhum; Ministry of Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol; Education Minister Kol Pheng and Veng Sereyvuth, the minister of Culture and Fine Arts.

He added that Nhiek Bun Chhay should submit the biographies of lower level party officials who he wants to be appointed in the government. “I’ll review each of their biographies,” the premier said to Keo Puth Reasmey.

The premier did not indicate whether any Funcinpec members will be appointed to the post of deputy prime minister or if they will keep their ministerial positions.

Deputy Secretary General of Funcinpec Serey Kossal said he doubted that Funcinpec will receive ministerial posts in the newly formed government.

Nhiek Bun Chhay said by phone yesterday that he is currently abroad and that work on the appointments will begin when he returns to Cambodia.

Hun Sen, who is also vice president of the CPP, said in front of Keo Puth Rasmey and reporters that the new CPP-Funcinpec partnership would be more effective as: “This time we will make no mistakes.” But, he cautioned, that “Funcinpec cannot make demands. I will make the decisions.”

The prime minister also warned Funcinpec not to present him with the names of officials who he dislikes.

Keo Puth Reasmey, president of Funcinpec, could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

Serey Kosal said yesterday that Nhiek Bun Chhay would handle the process. “Keo Puth Reasmey can still use his rights as president, but the decision of nominating officials in the government is to be done by Nhiek Bun Chhay.”

CPP spokesman Khieu Kanharith said: “We have announced that we accept Funcinpec as a partner. As soon as official electoral results have been declared the CPP will make another official announcement.”

When asked what government roles the coalition party will be given, he declined to elaborate, but said: “Positions … are being arranged. As official results have yet to be announced, it is impossible for us to form a government. A child cannot be born before his father.”

The opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) is taking no heed of the planned coalition between the CPP and Funcinpec.

“We do not talk about power for the time being. We are busy complaining about problems involving those who could not vote and the many other irregularities,” said SRP spokesman Son Chhay.

According to preliminary results released by political parties and election monitoring NGOs, the CPP has won the parliamentary election with up to 90 of the total 123 seats. The SRP and the Human Rights Party won 26 and three seats respectively while Funcinpec and the Norodom Ranariddh Party each obtained two seats.

The National Election Committee plans to publicize temporary results on Aug 9 and official ones showing the division of seats between Aug 13 to Sep 17. As scheduled the new National Assembly will hold its first session on Sep 24, during which its organizational structure and new parliamentarians will be appointed.

Defectors get preferential treatment from Hun Sen, something the CPP members don’t enjoy

Hun Sen shows his faithfulness to the defectors who joined his party

28 May 2008
By Duong Sokha
Ka-set
Unofficial translation from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the original article in French
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

On Wednesday 28 May, Hun Sen announced that he would keep Ing Kantha Phavy as the minister of Women Affairs in his next government. A former Funcinpec member, she defected her party in January 2008, to join the ruling party. Ou Bunlong, the current secretary of state at the Ministry of Economy and former defector from the SRP to the Funcinpec, then to the CPP, will also enjoy the same treatment.

Through this action, Hun Sen wants to show that the defectors who join the CPP will not be pushed out of power, once the legislative mandate is over. This seems to be Hun Sen’s reply to Sam Rainsy who accused the CPP of luring opposition party members only for the election reason, and he also warned those who are attracted to the CPP, that the CPP would get rid of them later.

Furthermore, Hun Sen also apologized to the Funcinpec ministers in the current government – Nuth Sokhom, the Health minister, and Kol Pheng, the minister of Education – warning them that their fate is not sealed for the upcoming government. “For the high ranking Funcinpec government officials, I cannot guarantee them anything. All will depend on their party’s results at the election, and on the decisions their president will make,” Hun Sen declared.

Health Minister May Be Another 'Scapegoat' for CPP's Anti-Corrruption Campaign

26 Jan 08
By Soriya
Samleng Yuveakchon Khmer (Voice of Khmer Youth)
Translated from Khmer and posted online by Anonymous

A new corruption scandal of Health Minister Nut Sokhom is in the hands of Cambodian People's Party [CPP] officials and it can lead him toward the same fate as the former governor of Kampot province from the FUNCINPEC [National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, and Peaceful Cambodia] Party. This appears to be part of the ruling party's campaign to fight corruption. Suppose Nut Soklhom is arrested and jailed on corruption charges in the bidding for the right to procure medicines for the Ministry of Public Health [MoPH], this would help to boost the prestige of Prime Minister Hun Sen's government. People would acclaim it for daring to fight corruption and for not sparing even ministers who can also be thrown into jail.

A source said that the head of the Ministry of Inspection [MoI] Mrs. Men Sam-an a few days ago summoned for questioning Health Minister Nut Sokhom, who is also head of the committee overseeing the bidding for the procurement of medicines which has been rife with reports of corruption. It is not known whether this was Mrs. Men Sam-an's tactics to alert people about corruption or was it her intention to wake Nut Sokhom up with a big punch to the head. However, this corruption scandal is most serious, on the one hand, because Yeay [lady] Phu is so influential and, on the other hand, because Nut Sokhom thought he has earned the understanding to make some money since his term's end is so near. However, Yeay Phu's overwhelming influence has caused Nut Sokhom to worry to the point of losing all appetite, for everybody has heard about Yeay Phu's clout; if she wants something no one in Cambodia can stop her.

According to a report, Mrs. Men Sam-an, member of the CPP Central Committee's Political Bureau, summoned Minister Nut Sokhom to clarify charges of corruption in the bidding for the 2008 right to procure medicines for the MoPH. But the source did not reveal the outcome of the clarification by Minister Nut Sokhom to Mrs. Men Sam-an's questioning. Nevertheless, this incident certainly jolted Nut Sokhom awake because there have been scores of corruption scandals in the MoPH since he became health minister in 2004.

The bidding for the 2008 right to procure medical equipment and medicines for the MoPH was won by Yeay Phu's son named Khov Van. According to some sources, Yeay Phu just made a single phone call and the MoPH officials were all shaken with fear. Minister Nut Sokhom immediately made arrangement on this business in response to Yeay Phu's request and wishes, daring not to utter a single word against her will. Immediately after the announcement of the result of the bidding, various business circles, especially the companies that took part in the bidding, protested that there was utter corruption in the bidding to procure medicines for the MoPH in 2008. Sources reported that several companies taking part in the bidding lodged complaints with or sent documents to Mrs. Em Sam-an's MoI, forcing her to summon Nut Sokhom for questioning.

Some sources said that Nut Sokhom received no less than $2 million in kickbacks from permitting the company of Yeay Phu's son to have the right to procure medicines for the MoPH in 2008. At the same time, some reports claimed that Yeay Phu did not make such payment. She only made a phone call to the big shot at the Council of Ministers Cabinet in order to get approval for the 2008 procurement right to supply medicines to the MoPH. But some other sources said that Yeay Phu did give some money to the bidding committee.

The bidding committee made up of Minister Nut Sokhom and State Secretary Sok Pheng of the MoPH is so afraid of Yeay Phu's business influence that it consented to decide according to the order from higher up to let Yeay Phu's son win the bidding for the right to procure medicines for the MoPH. This has corruption stamped all over it with people claiming that in his capacity as the bidding committee's chairman, Nut Sokhom received a bigger kickback than any other members.

Immediately after he acceded to the post of health minister, Nut Sokhom has left a remarkable impression when he started reshuffling a number of positions inside the MoPH. Although Nut Sokhom has acted as if he is a little unstable, it is said that the scope of corruption under his leadership is extremely widespread, including the bidding for the right to procure medicines for the MoPH and the reshuffling of officials from high-priced positions to less lucrative positions. It was said that the last time Nut Sokhom made so much money was in the bidding for the 2008 procurement of medicines for the MoPH in which it was suspected that Yeay Phu must have paid Nut Sokhom hundreds of thousands of dollars in appreciation for his service. Some MoPH officials disclosed that it is only during the times of Nut Sokhom that corruption is going on so seriously and overtly, fearing no criticisms.

Nonetheless, in the summons of the Ministry of Inspection Nut Sokhom must probably have shared some of the gifts he had received from Yeay Phu with the leaders of the MoI for him to be at peace. Otherwise, or if the CPP intends to show its desire to clean up corruption, Nut Sokhom might be the scapegoat sacrificed to boost the prestige of the government near the end of its term. Sometimes, the millions of dollars that Nut Sokhom has accumulated will not be enough to clear his stinking disrepute.