Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday appointed new officials for the Press and Quick Reaction Unit of the Council of Ministers, comprising 23 people.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s office Svay Sitha will continue to be the chair. Tith Sothea, advisor to the Royal Government is standby vice-chair, while Keut Rith, Neth Pheaktra and four other officials are vice-chairs.
Svay Sitha declined to comment on his reappointment.
Tith Sothea, Advisor to the Royal Government and standby chair of the Unit, said: “The decision on the reappointment is not important. This is the work we have done for a long time. It is not new but just an extension.”
Neth Pheaktra, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Environment and vice-chair of the Unit, also declined to comment with regard to Tith Sothea.
Phoung Sovann, the vice-chair of Cambodia’s Independent Civil Servants Association (CICA), said the continued appointment of officials, especially the ones whose rank is equal to Secretary of State or Director General, is only to satisfy members in the party.
He said: “It does not mean they will serve the institution effectively, with quality or public service in mind. And this appointment is purely a political one.”
The Unit was created by a Sub-decree of the Royal Government on June 22, 2009, and comes under the supervision of the Council of Ministers.
Its main duties are to carry out media work and react to content with a negative character coming from national and international media.
It also gauges the opinions expressed in various circles so as to maintain and to protect the government’s prestige and promote national identification.
