The move follows the restoration of lawmaker Sam Rainsy's parliamentary immunity by the National Assembly's Permanent Committee.

10 new appointees

• Ke Kim Yan - Deputy Prime Minister
• Serei Kosal - Senior Minister in Charge of Special Envoys
• Suon Rachna -  Secretary of State, Ministry of Public Works and Transport
• Sam Rang Kamsan  - Secretary of State, Ministry of Culture and Fine Art
• Hing Thoraksy, Tekrath Samrach, Keo Remy and Sam Sotha - Secretaries of State; Council of Ministers
• Chhuon Dara - Secretary of State, Ministry of Commerce
• Ahmad Yahya -  Secretary of State, Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation 

FORMER army commander-in-chief Ke Kim Yan is among 10 government officials expected to be appointed to new posts today during an extraordinary session of the National Assembly, which will also be officially informed that opposition lawmaker Sam Rainsy's parliamentay immunity was restored.

Ke Kim Yan, who was abruptly terminated from his post in January, is to become a deputy prime minister.

Former Funcinpec official Serei Kosal, who defected to the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) last year, is to be appointed senior minister in charge of special envoys.

The other eight appointees are to be appointed secretaries of state at various ministries.

Senior CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said the Assembly would meet today at the behest of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

We... hope that the lawmakers will vote to support the new appointees.

"We decided to hold an extraordinary session according to the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen and hope that the lawmakers will vote to support the new appointees," he told the Post Tuesday.

Immunity restored

 Cheam Yeap said Assembly members would also be informed that the parliamentary immunity of lawmaker Sam Rainsy, president of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, had been restored.

Sam Rainsy has been without his immunity since February 26, when the committee voted to suspend it to force him to pay a 10 million riel (US$2,500) fine to the National Election Committee (NEC), imposed for comments made during last year's national election campaign.  

Sam Rainsy paid the fine after losing his immunity, a move that prompted the NEC to withdraw its complaint against him.

Ke Sovannroth, secretary-general of the SRP and an MP, said it was time for Sam Rainsy's immunity to be restored.

"I think that the parliamentarians must restore his immunity because his comments were nothing but a demonstration of his freedom of expression," Ke Sovannroth said.

She said Tuesday that Rainsy was in France to meet party officials and was scheduled to return to Phnom Penh on Sunday.