Cambodia's parliament endorses new deputy PM

Phnom Penh [Cambodia], February 21: Cambodia's National Assembly on Wednesday endorsed Civil Service Minister Hun Many as a new deputy prime minister.
Hun Many, who became the minister of the Ministry of Civil Service last August, is a younger brother of current Prime Minister Hun Manet and the youngest son of former Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen.
Some 120 lawmakers in attendance, including Hun Manet, unanimously gave Hun Many their vote of confidence.
"Based on the result of the vote, I would like to declare that Hun Many won the National Assembly's confidence vote as the deputy prime minister," National Assembly President Khuon Sudary announced at the end of the session.
At the event, the parliament also approved the appointments of Sry Thamarong and Pen Vibol, currently ministers attached to the prime minister, as senior ministers in charge of special mission.
Speaking before the voting session, Hun Manet said the fresh appointments were made in response to "the necessary need for promoting the most efficient implementation of the political programs of the government in the seventh legislature of the National Assembly".
With the latest appointments, the number of deputy prime ministers in the Southeast Asian country has increased to 11, and the number of senior ministers has risen to 23.
The National Assembly is made up of 125 lawmakers, including 120 from the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and five from the royalist Funcinpec Party.
Source: Xinhua