Serei Kosal (Photo RFA)By Vong Sokheng
Phnom Penh Post, Issue 15 / 12, June 16 - 29, 2006
Funcinpec Senior Minister Serei Kosal has accused party Secretary-General Nhiek Bun Chhay of trying to topple the party's President, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, by attempting to create a rift inside the floundering royalist party.
At a news conference on June 6, Bun Chhay named party members who he said planned to break away from Funcinpec and form a new political party to be called the Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Ranariddh Party with Ranariddh's image as its logo.
But Bun Chhay also said Ranariddh has denied any intention of forming a new political party.
Bun Chhay accused Kosal, Prince Norodom Chakrapong and Ranariddh's spokesman Chea Chanboribo of planning to break away from the Funcinpec. However Kosal denied the allegation and said it was a fabrication by Bun Chhay.
"I think the allegation made by Nhiek Bun Chhay was a political pretext to bring together his loyalist members and [further] his ambition to take over as Funcinpec President," Kosal told the Post on June 13.
Kosal said tensions within Funcinpec were worsening and called on Bun Chhay to resign within 24 hours.
"Bun Chhay is illegally holding his position as secretary general of Funcinpec when the members of the party's steering committee have not yet approved him," Kosal said.
Chakrapong has said he will sue Bun Chhay for defamation for alleging he was involved in planning a breakaway party.
Chakrapong refused to talk to the Post, saying he did not want to repeat the same statement.
Bun Chhay was cheerfully dismissive of their comments.
"We are not worried, and we are happy and will celebrate for those individuals who break away from Funcinpec to form another political party," Bun Chhay said. "They were small party members who are disappointed in my leadership because they lost their benefits."
"We are not protecting those individuals who created a rift in the party and caused Funcinpec to lose popularity," Bun Chhay said.
An anonymous statement issued on May 29 by the "Former Funcinpec Resistance for the Monarchy" appealed to Ranariddh to allow his name to be used for a new political party.
The statement, sent from the Ministry of Information, accused Bun Chhay, Funcinpec Minister of Rural Development Lu Laysreng, and Funcinpec parliamentarian Ly Thuch of being the puppets of Prime Minister Hun Sen of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP).
Kosal said Funcinpec's internal rift had become a public affair because the party had two spokesmen - Nouv Sovathero was the spokesman appointed by Bun Chhay, while Chea Chanboribo was Ranariddh's spokesman.
"One party has two spokesmen offering different political points of view," Kosal said. "The spokesman appointed by the new party Secretary General, Nhiek Bun Chhay, is always speaking against the ideas of the President."
Bun Chhay said the removal of about 50 Funcinpec provincial governors and deputy governors had adversely affected the mood of the party membership. But he said their removal had been a government reform, not a Funcinpec action.
Ranariddh has been absent from Cambodia for three months. On March 14 he went to France where he teaches at a law school, a Funcinpec official said.
Several Funcinpec officials contacted by the Post said they did not know when he would return to Cambodia.
Bun Chhay visited China from May 28 to 31 to strengthen the relationship and cooperation between Funcinpec and the Chinese Communist Party, according to a press release issued by Funcinpec on May 26.
"We have supported one China, and China has supported the political cooperation between Funcinpec and the CPP," Bun Chhay said.
At a news conference on June 6, Bun Chhay named party members who he said planned to break away from Funcinpec and form a new political party to be called the Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Ranariddh Party with Ranariddh's image as its logo.
But Bun Chhay also said Ranariddh has denied any intention of forming a new political party.
Bun Chhay accused Kosal, Prince Norodom Chakrapong and Ranariddh's spokesman Chea Chanboribo of planning to break away from the Funcinpec. However Kosal denied the allegation and said it was a fabrication by Bun Chhay.
"I think the allegation made by Nhiek Bun Chhay was a political pretext to bring together his loyalist members and [further] his ambition to take over as Funcinpec President," Kosal told the Post on June 13.
Kosal said tensions within Funcinpec were worsening and called on Bun Chhay to resign within 24 hours.
"Bun Chhay is illegally holding his position as secretary general of Funcinpec when the members of the party's steering committee have not yet approved him," Kosal said.
Chakrapong has said he will sue Bun Chhay for defamation for alleging he was involved in planning a breakaway party.
Chakrapong refused to talk to the Post, saying he did not want to repeat the same statement.
Bun Chhay was cheerfully dismissive of their comments.
"We are not worried, and we are happy and will celebrate for those individuals who break away from Funcinpec to form another political party," Bun Chhay said. "They were small party members who are disappointed in my leadership because they lost their benefits."
"We are not protecting those individuals who created a rift in the party and caused Funcinpec to lose popularity," Bun Chhay said.
An anonymous statement issued on May 29 by the "Former Funcinpec Resistance for the Monarchy" appealed to Ranariddh to allow his name to be used for a new political party.
The statement, sent from the Ministry of Information, accused Bun Chhay, Funcinpec Minister of Rural Development Lu Laysreng, and Funcinpec parliamentarian Ly Thuch of being the puppets of Prime Minister Hun Sen of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP).
Kosal said Funcinpec's internal rift had become a public affair because the party had two spokesmen - Nouv Sovathero was the spokesman appointed by Bun Chhay, while Chea Chanboribo was Ranariddh's spokesman.
"One party has two spokesmen offering different political points of view," Kosal said. "The spokesman appointed by the new party Secretary General, Nhiek Bun Chhay, is always speaking against the ideas of the President."
Bun Chhay said the removal of about 50 Funcinpec provincial governors and deputy governors had adversely affected the mood of the party membership. But he said their removal had been a government reform, not a Funcinpec action.
Ranariddh has been absent from Cambodia for three months. On March 14 he went to France where he teaches at a law school, a Funcinpec official said.
Several Funcinpec officials contacted by the Post said they did not know when he would return to Cambodia.
Bun Chhay visited China from May 28 to 31 to strengthen the relationship and cooperation between Funcinpec and the Chinese Communist Party, according to a press release issued by Funcinpec on May 26.
"We have supported one China, and China has supported the political cooperation between Funcinpec and the CPP," Bun Chhay said.
3 comments:
All of you were the same Ranaridh=Serey Kosal+Nhek Bun Chhay= all of you. You all never think about people or nation, you just think about power and monies. Stop to more lie right now
with down A SDACH KROM PRETT, get out all, Khmers doesn't need you anymore traitor, brigands YUON grabb our land, they don't mind
SHIT SIHANOUSS,HUN SEN, RUNNARIDHH, and all SDACH
Man! that cheap D grade movie.
even kid of 7 years old can make up better story than this1
Get the hell out of Cambodia you dtupid heads!no one need you Funshit!
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