The Mirror, Vol. 11, No. 507
“Phnom Penh: Samdech Hun Sen, the Cambodian Prime Minister, signed on Monday the decision to dismiss Mr. Lay Prohas as Minister of Tourism and to appoint Mr. Thong Khon to be Acting Minister of Tourism.
“A Funcinpec spokesperson said that Mr. Lay Prohas is still a member of Funcinpec, and the removal of him from this position is a consequence of the ’50+1 formula’ – the Cambodian People’s Party [CPP] has the right to apply it, it is not necessary to wait until 2008.
“On 7 May, Samdech Hun Sen, the Cambodian Prime Minister, signed Decision 23 on the appointment of an Acting Minister of Tourism.
“The decision has two clauses; Clause 1 states, ‘Mr. Thong Khon is appointed to be Acting Minister of Tourism, replacing H.E. Lay Prahas, who is dismissed.’ Clause 2 of the decision is to inform the deputy prime ministers, the senior ministers, ministers, and secretaries of state of all ministries and institutions as well as provincial and town governors, and the persons whose names are mentioned in Clause 1.
“No official source was prepared to affirm the reason for the dismissal of Mr. Lay Prohas from his position. However, many officials at the Ministry of Tourism said, ‘Mr. Lay Prohas, who has led the Ministry of Tourism for nearly one whole term, seems not to get on well with the leadership officials in the ministry who are of the CPP quota.’ According to a source, the Minister had had many leadership problems at the Ministry of Tourism.
“Mr. Nov Sovatharo, the spokesperson of Funcinpec, said the problem is the 50+1 formula, ‘The CPP has the right to carry out the 50+1 formula, and it is not necessary to wait until 2008 with its application. The 50+1 formula is an inheritance from Samdech Krom Preah, the former president of Funcinpec. His decision on the 50+1 formula was made without asking the leadership in the party.’ According to Mr. Nov Sovatharo, the sharing of power according to this quota has been abandoned when the 50+1 formula was established.
“However, the spokesperson stated that the removal or suspension of the Minister was done by Samdech Prime Minister, ‘Maybe he thinks that the removal will bring good results, that is why he decided this.’
“‘Mr. Lay Prohas will still be a member of Funcinpec, and he may get a new position, but now we don’t know yet.’ This was affirmed by the Funcinpec spokesperson.
“Rasmei Kampuchea was not able to get in contact with Mr. Lay Prohas for comments on 9 May.
STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HOLDS SESSION WITH THE AGENDA TO VOTE TO APPOINT A MINISTER OF TOURISM
“Mr. Son Chhay, the chairperson of 5th Committee of the National Assembly, stated that on 9 May 2007 the Standing Committee of the National Assembly held a session with two important agenda items.
“Mr. Son Chhay stated that the first item was a vote of confidence on the appointment of Mr. Thong Khon to be the Minister of Tourism, replacing Mr. Lay Prohas. Secondly, Mr. Nhek Kimchhun [the brother of Nhek Buna Chhay, the Secretary-General of Funcinpec], a member of Funcinpec, will become a Secretary of State at the Ministry of Tourism, according to the quota.
“Mr. Son Chhay, a member of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, added that the agenda items will be submitted to the plenary session, to be discussed to be adopted on 17 May 2007.
“The parliamentarian Son Chhay added that he does not know the reason for the urgent reshuffle of the position of the Minister of Tourism.” Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4280, 10.5.2007
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Thursday, 10 May 2007
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1335, 10.5.2007
- Three Men Arrested for Involvement in Creation of Military Unit to Overthrow Government [Pursat]
- Son of General Pech Chivoan [director of the department of land borders of the Ministry of Interior], and His [three] Friends Released after Being Jailed for a Short Time over Shooting and Killing a Military Officer at a Drinking Party [Phnom Penh]
- International Singer Ronan Keating Arrives in Cambodia [for a concert]
- [Poor] Woman with Injury and Intestines Outside Her Body for More Than Ten Years Calls for Help [Rotanak Mondul, Battambang]
Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #6035, 10.5.2007
- Seeking Ways to Help People in Rural Areas; Samdech Hun Sen: To Face Problems Shows the Complications and the Weaknesses of a Market Infrastructure
- [Four] Men Secretly Enter Thailand to Get Stolen Motorcycles; One of Them Is Shot Dead by Black-Clad Thai Soldiers [special border protection unit – Ou Smach, Oddar Meanchey]
- [Actress] Ms. Angelina Jolie Is the Only Good Choice for Position of President of the World Bank
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3154, 10.5.2007
- No Hope that Khmer King Will Agree to Pardon Prince Ranariddh [because the King would ask for agreement from Hun Sen]
- Mr. Yim Sovann [Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian from Phnom Penh]: Development and Promotion of People’s Livelihood Is Easy, but Corruption Must Be Combated First
- The Deadlock of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal Is Hun Sen’s Embarrassing Failure in Front of the International Community
- People in Kratie Protest over Expensive Electricity
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4280, 10.5.2007
- Royal Government Decides to Dismiss Mr. Lay Prohas as Minister of Tourism
Sralanh Khmer, Vol.3, #396, 10.5.2007
- The Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award 2006 Goes to Mu Sochua [Secretary-General of Sam Rainsy Party]
- Kampuchea Krom Khmer Monks to Be Tried by Yuon [Vietnamese] Court Today in [formerly called in Khmer] Khleang Province [now Sóc Trăng Province – on accusation of causing social instability]
- When Will Statute of Council of Magistracy and Anti-Corruption Law Get Out of the Hands of Hun Sen and Sok An? [to be approved soon by the National Assembly]
