From: clarinews@clarinet.com (SUE DOWNIE)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.international,clari.news.politics.people,clari.news.politics,biz.clarinet.sample
Subject: Cambodian President rejects retirement
Keywords: international, non-usa government, government,
	political personalities, politics, political parties
Date: 7 Apr 92 12:38:36 GMT
Article-I.D.: clarinet.cambodia-presidentU2A7830ae
Followup-To: biz.clarinet.sample
Location: cambodia
ACategory: international
Slugword: cambodia-president
Priority: regular
Format: regular
ANPA: Wc: 449; Id: z2466; Sel: xxigf; Adate: 4-7-830aed
Codes: yigfrxx., yiprrcm., yipprcm.


	PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Cambodia's communist leader Heng Samrin said
Tuesday he will not resign as President despite reports the 58-year-old
leader has been replaced by the National Assembly president.
	``I will keep my position as presdient of the State of Cambodia. I
will be responsible for everything in the state of Cambodia,'' the
president told reporters after seeing off government and opposition
leaders bound for Beijing.
	Earlier reports by a Western news agency (not United Press
International) said Heng Samrin had been replaced on Monday by hard-line
National Assembly President Chea Sim through an amendment to the
Constitution.
	There have also been widespread rumors that Heng Samrin would retire.
	Chea Sim replaced Heng Samrin as head of the ruling party last year
when the party changed its name to the People' s Party and officially
dropped its communist ideology.
	Heng Samrin, a dour revolutionary leader who has led the government
since it was installed by the Vietnamese army in January, 1978 has clung
to his official post as president.
	His ouster from the party leadership, signing of a peace treaty with
the three resistance forces and the return of consensus leader Prince
Norodom Sihanouk, however, have left him with very little real power.
	Cambodia's Supreme National Council(SNC), made up of six government
and six opposition members, left Tuesday for a 10-day state visit to
China led by Sihanouk, SNC chairman and head of state.
	The Government and three opposition factions signed a peace agreement
in Paris last October, officially ending the 13-year civil war and
paving the way for the United Nations to set up a transitional authority
in Cambodia.
	``We will build our country again so we will have a good country and
good society -- as good as we had in Angkor Wat time,'' said the prince,
referring to the prosperous era when the mighty Angkor Empire flourished
800 years ago.
	In a statement to be read on arrival at Beijing, Sihanouk thanked
China for its role in the peace process.
	``The People's Republic of China was one of the architects of the
peace accord of Paris and the (recent) visit of (Chinese) Foreign
Minister Qian Qichen contributed to national unity,'' Sihanouk said.
	The 50-member official party includes Prime Minister Hun Sen and
opposition leaders Khieu Samphan (of the Khmer Rouge), Son Sann (of the
Khmer People' s National Liberation Front) and Sihanouk's son Prince
Norodom Ranariddh.
	The delegation will return in time to receive U.N. Secretary General
Boutros Ghali who will visit Cambodia on April 18-19.
Xref: sparky clari.news.gov.international:278 clari.news.politics:588 clari.news.hot.east_europe:91 clari.news.hot.ussr:72 clari.news.gov.officials:28 biz.clarinet.sample:1244 clari.news.urgent:74