Lu Lay Sreng giving press conference at his office (Photo: Koh Santepheap)
Lu Laysreng (Top) and You Hockry (Bottom) are accused of being CPP agents operating inside of Funcinpec (Photos: RFA)Wednesday, August 23, 2006
F'pec Minister Strikes Out At Ranariddh
By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
"I wanted the prince to retreat overseas
and take his mistress out [of Cambodia]."
—Lu Laysreng,
Funcinpec Minister of Rural Development
Funcinpec Minister of Rural Development Lu Laysreng lashed out at his party president Prince Norodom Ranariddh in an extraordinary press conference Tuesday, signaling a new catastrophe for the ailing royalist party.
Lu Laysreng said he called reporters to his office after being told by Funcinpec Secretary-General Nhiek Bun Chhay that senior party officials have called for his removal as rural development minister.
"It is not so easy [to remove] Lu laysreng," he told reporters. "Be careful if you do [remove me] and people don't agree," Lu Laysreng warned. "You think I don't have any weapons?" he added.
Lu Laysreng rounded on Prince Ranariddh, who returned to Phnom Penh Saturday after a five-month absence, saying the prince was solely responsible for Funcinpec's monumental decline in popularity.
"If a party's president leads it to lose three or four times at the polls, he shouldn't wait until people fire him, he should resign," Lu Laysreng said.
"Samdech Hun Sen has the good fortune to stay in his position because his party has increased its seats," he said.
Lu Laysreng said that he had not wanted the prince to resign as president of the National Assembly in March, only to take issues in his private life out of the political arena and the country.
"I wanted the prince to retreat overseas and take his mistress out [of Cambodia]," Lu Laysreng said.
The minister also said that in March, Prince Ranariddh pushed to have him removed and replaced by Funcinpec's Tea Chamrath, a deputy secretary-general of the party. The prince proposed the idea to Hun Sen, but Lu Laysreng said the prince backed down when he threatened to break from Funcinpec.
Although he claimed that it was not he who had proposed ousting Prince Ranariddh as lifetime party president, Lu Laysreng said on Tuesday that it may now be a good idea.
"Prince Norodom Ranariddh was named to be historical president, but that title has a different meaning because he led the party into decline, reducing the number of assembly seats from 50 to 20," he said.
Funcinpec won a controlling 58 seats in the 1993 general elections, 43 in the 1998 elections and now has 26 seats following the 2003 poll.
Ok Socheat, an adviser to the prince, said that if Lu Laysreng apologizes, all will be forgiven. But he added that it would be better for the minister to resign than to be fired. "If he resigns it is good for the party," Ok Socheat said. "No one wants to fire him."
Lu Laysreng recently threatened to resign if the prince did not follow his recommendations for the party, Ok Socheat added.
Meng Rita, acting secretary-general of the Sam Rainsy Party, said Lu Laysreng’s attack on the prince must have the support of the ruling CPP.
"Lu Laysreng might join with the CPP, that is why he dared to criticize the president. There must be a promise from the CPP," Meng Rita said.
The CPP has been accused of promoting factionalism in rival parties before.
From 1995 to 1997, the Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party, founded by the highly respected Son Sann, a former Cambodian prime minister, split into two factions. The breakaway faction, led by then-Information Minister Ieng Mouly, was later granted exclusive use of the BLDP's name and logo in court.
The balkanized BLDP, which held 10 seats in 1993, disintegrated and won no seats in 1998.
In the buildup to the 1998 election, a split in Sam Rainsy's then-Khmer Nation Party, and an ensuing court battle over the use of the name and logo, led to the establishment of the Sam Rainsy Party. The KNP splinter faction was also later granted the party name by the courts.
Hang Puthea, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free Elections in Cambodia, said that he could not see Lu Laysreng leading his own Funcinpec faction, but rather joining his supporters with the CPP.
CPP Information Minister and government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said his party only wants a united Funcinpec as its coalition partner. He said he had informed Hun Sen about the rift between the prince and Lu Laysreng.
"Prince Norodom Ranariddh should pity Lu Laysreng...Lu Laysreng should compromise with the prince," Khieu Kanharith said.
However, Khieu Kanharith also predicted that if Lu Laysreng is being threatened with removal from his ministerial position, the same broad movement would form to support him that supported former Funcinpec co-Minister of Interior You Hockry when the prince tried to remove him in 2002.
Heeding unease expressed by officials within Funcinpec that You Hockry was working more closely with the CPP than with his own royalist officials, the prince tried to remove him and replace him with Funcinpec's then highly popular RCAF Deputy Commander-in-Chief Khan Savoeun.
At that time, 2,000 supporters were trucked into Phnom Penh from Kompong Cham province to stage a noisy demonstration in support of You Hockry. The prince finally backed down when Hun Sen said CPP lawmakers would likely not vote at the National Assembly to approve the removal of You Hockry from his post.
Two-thirds of lawmakers at the assembly were required at that time to vote in favor of removing a minister, a situation which would have required the CPP's vote to carry the motion.
Prince Ranariddh complained that under Funcinpec's coalition deal with the CPP, it was obligated to approve his decision to remove a Funcinpec minister. You Hockry is currently a senior Funcinpec minister without a portfolio.
Lu Laysreng said he called reporters to his office after being told by Funcinpec Secretary-General Nhiek Bun Chhay that senior party officials have called for his removal as rural development minister.
"It is not so easy [to remove] Lu laysreng," he told reporters. "Be careful if you do [remove me] and people don't agree," Lu Laysreng warned. "You think I don't have any weapons?" he added.
Lu Laysreng rounded on Prince Ranariddh, who returned to Phnom Penh Saturday after a five-month absence, saying the prince was solely responsible for Funcinpec's monumental decline in popularity.
"If a party's president leads it to lose three or four times at the polls, he shouldn't wait until people fire him, he should resign," Lu Laysreng said.
"Samdech Hun Sen has the good fortune to stay in his position because his party has increased its seats," he said.
Lu Laysreng said that he had not wanted the prince to resign as president of the National Assembly in March, only to take issues in his private life out of the political arena and the country.
"I wanted the prince to retreat overseas and take his mistress out [of Cambodia]," Lu Laysreng said.
The minister also said that in March, Prince Ranariddh pushed to have him removed and replaced by Funcinpec's Tea Chamrath, a deputy secretary-general of the party. The prince proposed the idea to Hun Sen, but Lu Laysreng said the prince backed down when he threatened to break from Funcinpec.
Although he claimed that it was not he who had proposed ousting Prince Ranariddh as lifetime party president, Lu Laysreng said on Tuesday that it may now be a good idea.
"Prince Norodom Ranariddh was named to be historical president, but that title has a different meaning because he led the party into decline, reducing the number of assembly seats from 50 to 20," he said.
Funcinpec won a controlling 58 seats in the 1993 general elections, 43 in the 1998 elections and now has 26 seats following the 2003 poll.
Ok Socheat, an adviser to the prince, said that if Lu Laysreng apologizes, all will be forgiven. But he added that it would be better for the minister to resign than to be fired. "If he resigns it is good for the party," Ok Socheat said. "No one wants to fire him."
Lu Laysreng recently threatened to resign if the prince did not follow his recommendations for the party, Ok Socheat added.
Meng Rita, acting secretary-general of the Sam Rainsy Party, said Lu Laysreng’s attack on the prince must have the support of the ruling CPP.
"Lu Laysreng might join with the CPP, that is why he dared to criticize the president. There must be a promise from the CPP," Meng Rita said.
The CPP has been accused of promoting factionalism in rival parties before.
From 1995 to 1997, the Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party, founded by the highly respected Son Sann, a former Cambodian prime minister, split into two factions. The breakaway faction, led by then-Information Minister Ieng Mouly, was later granted exclusive use of the BLDP's name and logo in court.
The balkanized BLDP, which held 10 seats in 1993, disintegrated and won no seats in 1998.
In the buildup to the 1998 election, a split in Sam Rainsy's then-Khmer Nation Party, and an ensuing court battle over the use of the name and logo, led to the establishment of the Sam Rainsy Party. The KNP splinter faction was also later granted the party name by the courts.
Hang Puthea, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free Elections in Cambodia, said that he could not see Lu Laysreng leading his own Funcinpec faction, but rather joining his supporters with the CPP.
CPP Information Minister and government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said his party only wants a united Funcinpec as its coalition partner. He said he had informed Hun Sen about the rift between the prince and Lu Laysreng.
"Prince Norodom Ranariddh should pity Lu Laysreng...Lu Laysreng should compromise with the prince," Khieu Kanharith said.
However, Khieu Kanharith also predicted that if Lu Laysreng is being threatened with removal from his ministerial position, the same broad movement would form to support him that supported former Funcinpec co-Minister of Interior You Hockry when the prince tried to remove him in 2002.
Heeding unease expressed by officials within Funcinpec that You Hockry was working more closely with the CPP than with his own royalist officials, the prince tried to remove him and replace him with Funcinpec's then highly popular RCAF Deputy Commander-in-Chief Khan Savoeun.
At that time, 2,000 supporters were trucked into Phnom Penh from Kompong Cham province to stage a noisy demonstration in support of You Hockry. The prince finally backed down when Hun Sen said CPP lawmakers would likely not vote at the National Assembly to approve the removal of You Hockry from his post.
Two-thirds of lawmakers at the assembly were required at that time to vote in favor of removing a minister, a situation which would have required the CPP's vote to carry the motion.
Prince Ranariddh complained that under Funcinpec's coalition deal with the CPP, it was obligated to approve his decision to remove a Funcinpec minister. You Hockry is currently a senior Funcinpec minister without a portfolio.
5 comments:
Get fleas when sleep with dog,so does FUNC.
Lu Lays Sraeng or You Hog Cry are comparably hugered for Cpeepee assurance.
Nationalists a la carte de Singe-hanouk
A man whose principle is weak can be blind by power. These men are not standing on their principles. Whether they are in or out, couldn't careless!
lu lay 'Srey' is telling the prince what to do? they didn't called him lu lay "srey" for no reason. this guy is the most corrupt, most power hungry, most greedy, and MOST INCOMPETENT. this guy is uneducated, couldn't tell his pie hole from his ass hole. but what he's is good at is having many girls. that's why he is selling Rannaridh's head and kissing CPP's stinking shit hole. He needs more cash to pay for his sex slaves.
This mother fucker Lu Layshit is a man with no principle! He just bullshit infront of Cambodian people but behind close door, he sleeps with the Vietcong! This is mother fucker is a sleeper but when the Vietcong call him and he will wake up to the Vietcong command!
Anonymous, how do u know so much information about this guy lu lay sreng? i'm doing a project about this guy and were wondering if u can give some good website that i can go to.:-) this is guy all that bad?? a lot of cambodian people hate him?? thanks
Post a Comment