CPP continues to remove senior officials from increasingly junior

coalition partner Funcinpec and has filled the posts with its own

loyalists

TWO Funcinpec governors have been removed

from their posts in Sihanoukville and Kampot and replaced by the

Cambodian People's Party (CPP) deputy governors in a ceremony Thursday

as part of the post-election drive to switch royalist officials with

those from the ruling party.

Sihanoukville Governor Say Hak has been replaced by his deputy,

Sboang Sarath, and Kampot Governor Thach Khorn will be succeeded by his

deputy, Khoy Khunhuor.

Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng attended the handover ceremony.   

Sak

Setha, director general of general administration at the Ministry of

Information, said that the two newly promoted CPP stalwarts have been

serving in their provinces for years.

"The government has no more plans to reshuffle the provincial governor positions," he said.

Say

Hak said that as a public servant he respected the government's

decision to change positions and is happy to accept whatever post he

will be offered in the future.

Tired of the job?

"I stayed here [as Sihanoukville governor] long enough," said Say Hak, who served in the position for seven years.

"I don't mind, and I am prepared to leave."

It is unclear what position Say Hak is likely to receive in the new government, which will be sworn in on September 24.

According

to the draft list of new government positions, Kampot's Thach Khorn has

been appointed secretary of state at the Ministry of National

Assembly-Senate Relations and Inspection. 

All Funcinpec ministers, provincial governors and ambassadors have

lost their posts following the July 27 general election, in which the

CPP won a resounding majority in parliament.

The Interior Ministry's Sak Setha said that the government has

appointed one additional provincial deputy governor for Siem Reap,

taking the number of governors and deputy governors in the province to

13.