By Vong Sokheng
Phnom Penh Post, Issue 15 / 16, August 11 - 24, 2006
Funcinpec president Prince Norodom Ranariddh is expected back in Cambodia on August 12 or 13, says his public affairs adviser, Ok Socheat. And a right royal row awaits him.
Ranariddh resigned as President of the National Assembly and left the country in March this year after Prime Minister Hun Sen of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) accused some officials in Funcinpec, the government's coalition partner, of nepotism and extramarital affairs.
In the months since, dissension has grown within Funcinpec as Hun Sen has steadily removed about 100 Funcinpec officials from their posts as provincial governors, deputy governors and police officials. The deposed officials accuse Funcinpec Secretary-General Nhiek Bun Chhay, a Deputy Prime Minister, of failing to support them.
But the CPP insists that Funcinpec officials were not doing their jobs, and were sacked as part of the government's efforts to reform.
Socheat told the Post on August 9 that at least four senior Funcinpec officials were suspected of disloyalty to Prince Ranariddh and plotting to break away from the party.
Socheat named the four as Lu Laysreng, Minister of the Rural Development, Sun Chanthol, Minister of Public Works and Transportation, Veng Sereyvuth, Senior Minister and Ly Thuch, a Funcinpec Member of Parliament. He said they had intended to hold a meeting on August 6, but it was aborted because of a lack of support from other party members.
"I think that some of the four officials were involved in the World Bank scandal and they should be asked to resign from the party, which would help to restore the reputation of Funcinpec, which has adhered to its political program to fight against corruption," Socheat said. "Now we are waiting to see when the prince returns. Then we will examine the case."
The World Bank in June suspended funding on three projects valued at $68.4 million, and it is seeking repayment of $7.6 million lost through corruption in 30 procurement contracts.
Thuch, when contacted on August 9 for comment, said he was in a meeting in Malaysia. Laysreng also said he had a meeting.
Socheat said Ranariddh recently stayed in Malaysia, and it would have been easy for party members to meet him.
He said Ranariddh will continue to support Bun Chhay as party secretary general, and said Funcinpec still enjoyed a good relationship with Hun Sen and the CPP.
Senior Funcinpec official Serei Kosal said there should be no impunity for individual corruption.
"However, I think that one person cannot commit corruption in the government ministries [alone], but it was within the system," Kosal said. "If the government cannot eliminate corruption, that is not only the responsibility of one party, it is the two parties in the coalition government."
Koul Panha, executive director of the election monitoring NGO Comfrel (the Committee for Free and Fair Elections) said on August 9 that corruption is nothing new in Cambodia, and would not be an issue that adversely affected any political party in the elections.
Socheat said he will submit his idea for Ranariddh to form an "Alliance of Nationalism"with other political parties against the CPP when Ranariddh returns to Cambodia.
"I think the Alliance of Nationalism is the last political strategy before the elections, otherwise there is no political party that can beat the CPP," Socheat said.
Panha said that he supported the idea of making an alliance before the elections, and the strategy would enable small parties to get seats in the National Assembly.
Ranariddh resigned as President of the National Assembly and left the country in March this year after Prime Minister Hun Sen of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) accused some officials in Funcinpec, the government's coalition partner, of nepotism and extramarital affairs.
In the months since, dissension has grown within Funcinpec as Hun Sen has steadily removed about 100 Funcinpec officials from their posts as provincial governors, deputy governors and police officials. The deposed officials accuse Funcinpec Secretary-General Nhiek Bun Chhay, a Deputy Prime Minister, of failing to support them.
But the CPP insists that Funcinpec officials were not doing their jobs, and were sacked as part of the government's efforts to reform.
Socheat told the Post on August 9 that at least four senior Funcinpec officials were suspected of disloyalty to Prince Ranariddh and plotting to break away from the party.
Socheat named the four as Lu Laysreng, Minister of the Rural Development, Sun Chanthol, Minister of Public Works and Transportation, Veng Sereyvuth, Senior Minister and Ly Thuch, a Funcinpec Member of Parliament. He said they had intended to hold a meeting on August 6, but it was aborted because of a lack of support from other party members.
"I think that some of the four officials were involved in the World Bank scandal and they should be asked to resign from the party, which would help to restore the reputation of Funcinpec, which has adhered to its political program to fight against corruption," Socheat said. "Now we are waiting to see when the prince returns. Then we will examine the case."
The World Bank in June suspended funding on three projects valued at $68.4 million, and it is seeking repayment of $7.6 million lost through corruption in 30 procurement contracts.
Thuch, when contacted on August 9 for comment, said he was in a meeting in Malaysia. Laysreng also said he had a meeting.
Socheat said Ranariddh recently stayed in Malaysia, and it would have been easy for party members to meet him.
He said Ranariddh will continue to support Bun Chhay as party secretary general, and said Funcinpec still enjoyed a good relationship with Hun Sen and the CPP.
Senior Funcinpec official Serei Kosal said there should be no impunity for individual corruption.
"However, I think that one person cannot commit corruption in the government ministries [alone], but it was within the system," Kosal said. "If the government cannot eliminate corruption, that is not only the responsibility of one party, it is the two parties in the coalition government."
Koul Panha, executive director of the election monitoring NGO Comfrel (the Committee for Free and Fair Elections) said on August 9 that corruption is nothing new in Cambodia, and would not be an issue that adversely affected any political party in the elections.
Socheat said he will submit his idea for Ranariddh to form an "Alliance of Nationalism"with other political parties against the CPP when Ranariddh returns to Cambodia.
"I think the Alliance of Nationalism is the last political strategy before the elections, otherwise there is no political party that can beat the CPP," Socheat said.
Panha said that he supported the idea of making an alliance before the elections, and the strategy would enable small parties to get seats in the National Assembly.
3 comments:
Funny people have always created funny problems. A man who is comaparing to an animal( Rannarith) can be treated as a leader of a Nation. What kind of prospect can these people expect from this kind of metality?
Poork ah tmart!
Voulture!
Ah Krom Pret is just ah Kaun Chau of Gen. Nhek Bun Chhay
Post a Comment