Deposed Cambodian co-premier replaced
August 6, 1997
Web posted at: 1:57 p.m. EDT (1757 GMT)In this story:
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (CNN) -- Bowing to the will of strongman Hun Sen, legislators Wednesday voted into power a new co-premier to replace deposed Prince Norodom Ranariddh, the country's only popularly elected leader.
Taking Ranariddh's place as first prime minister is Foreign Minister Ung Huot, a move that Hun Sen said signaled the end of political turmoil that brought Cambodia to the verge of civil war.
"The crisis is now over," he told reporters after the secret ballot vote by the National Assembly. Eighty-six lawmakers voted for Ung Huot, a member of Ranariddh's political party, while four opposed him, six abstained and three ballots were ruled "spoiled."
Newly elected First Prime Minister Ung Huot says democracy is at work in the Cambodian parliament 
85 K/10 sec. AIFF or WAV sound The National Assembly normally consists of 120 lawmakers, but many loyal to Ranariddh sought refuge abroad after last month's takeover when at least 40 of the prince's supporters were killed by Hun Sen's men.
Hun Sen denies that the fierce two-day military battle that led Ranariddh to flee into exile was a coup.
Ung Huot's hurdles
Despite the approval of parliament, Ung Huot still faced hurdles before winning full acceptance as co-premier:
Ranariddh's father, King Norodom Sihanouk, said late last month he would not recognize Ung Huot as first premier as the post belonged to his son. The king also said that a vote on a new first prime minister by an incomplete parliament would be invalid.
Members of the Cambodian opposition in Bangkok also said Ung Huot's nomination was illegal and in violation of the constitution. "The appointment (Wednesday) by the National Assembly, in an atmosphere of intimidation and fear, of Mr. Ung Huot is totally illegal," the Union of Cambodian Democrats (UCD) opposition group said in a statement released in the Thai capital.
Many Ranariddh supporters fled the country in the wake of Hun Sen's takeover and a subsequent crackdown on Ranariddh's FUNCINPEC party in which some 40 people were killed, according to U.N. human rights officials.
The United States and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) both said soon after the prince's ouster that they still recognized the prince as first prime minister. There was no immediate comment from ASEAN or Washington on Ung Huot's election. 
Ranariddh also loses immunity
Earlier Wednesday, the National Assembly voted to strip Ranariddh of his parliamentary immunity, clearing the way for his prosecution for alleged crimes if he returns to Cambodia.
Hun Sen has said Ranariddh is free to come back but would have to face charges for his illegal negotiations with the outlawed Khmer Rouge guerrilla group and for alleged weapons smuggling. The prince has denied the accusations.
Ung Huot told parliament he was honored to have been elected first prime minister and said the main task of the government was to strengthen political, economic and social institutions.
He also promised to work closely with Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party in preparing for elections scheduled for May.
In theory, Ung Huot's new position means he shares power with Hun Sen, who holds the title of second prime minister in a coalition arrangement formed after U.N.-run elections in 1993.
But even Ung Huot acknowledged to CNN last week that he may be widely viewed as Hun Sen's "puppet".
Correspondent John Raedler and Reuters contributed to this report.
- Message Board: Cambodian Conflict
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Related sites:
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- ASEAN - the official website of Association of the Association of South East Asian Nations
- Cambodian Information Center - includies Cambodian news and photos, academic papers on Cambodia, and homepage links
- Embassy of Cambodia - site of the Chancery of the Royal Embassy of Cambodia to the United States located in Washington, D.C.
- Cambodia - profile from CARE
- Beauty and Darkness: Cambodia in Modern History - documents, essays, oral histories, and photos relating to the recent history of Cambodia, with an emphasis on the Khmer Rouge period
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