Ranariddh Says F’pec Won't Ally With SRP
By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Funcinpec President Prince Norodom Ranariddh has denied the party intends to form an "Alliance of Nationalists" with the Sam Rainsy Party and reiterated Funcinpec's allegiance to the coalition with Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling CPP.
In a public statement issued by the party on Saturday, Prince Ranariddh said any suggestion from inside the party that Funcinpec intended to join forces with the SRP ahead of the 2008 election clashed with party policy.
"The Funcinpec party has no political principle to form an alliance with the Sam Rainsy Party. All information that was disseminated related to the alliance with the Sam Rainsy Party was only the idea of an individual," according to the statement, dated Aug 4.
The prince added that information about the alliance has affected cooperation between the CPP and Funcinpec.
Prince Ranariddh's public affairs adviser Ok Socheat said on July 30 that the prince himself had invited the SRP to form the alliance.
Government spokesman and Information Minister Khieu Kanharith welcomed the prince's clarification and urged him to return to the country.
Prince Ranariddh made a hasty departure from Cambodia in March, after Hun Sen launched a scathing barrage of criticism against Funcinpec officials, accusing them of incompetence, nepotism and caring more about extramarital affairs than their government work
Khieu Kanharith added that it has been the CPP’s policy to form coalition governments with Funcinpec since 1993.
"The CPP and Funcinpec have never had any trouble with each other," he maintained.
SRP leader Sam Rainsy, who on July 30 welcomed the prince's reported invitation to form an alliance, said Sunday that he was no longer considering the proposal.
"We are not interested in his initiative and we are also not interested in the statement, Prince Norodom Ranariddh is a tricky man. No one is interested in him," Sam Rainsy said. He added that several thousand grass-roots Funcinpec supporters have defected to the SRP in recent months.
Ok Socheat was with the prince in Malaysia and could not be reached for comment.
Hang Puthea, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free Elections in Cambodia, said talk of an Alliance of Nationalists—which would bolster the two parties' chances in the election— appears to have rattled the CPP.
"The CPP is concerned that Sam Rainsy and Funcinpec will form the alliance. The alliance could interrupt the CPP’s work," he said.
The CPP may now adopt a more conciliatory position toward Funcinpec to ensure the alliance with the SRP is not formed, he said.
Hang Puthea said he has heard that the CPP could now give Prince Ranariddh back his position as National Assembly president in order to ensure his loyalty.
The prince resigned from the position shortly before leaving the country.
CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said the government will not return the Assembly presidency, which is now held by CPP Honorary President Heng Samrin, to the prince.
The CPP will maintain its cooperation with Funcinpec, he said, though he denied the CPP was frightened by the proposed alliance.
"We will never shake. As a CPP member, I don't think we will lose in the election," he said.
In a public statement issued by the party on Saturday, Prince Ranariddh said any suggestion from inside the party that Funcinpec intended to join forces with the SRP ahead of the 2008 election clashed with party policy.
"The Funcinpec party has no political principle to form an alliance with the Sam Rainsy Party. All information that was disseminated related to the alliance with the Sam Rainsy Party was only the idea of an individual," according to the statement, dated Aug 4.
The prince added that information about the alliance has affected cooperation between the CPP and Funcinpec.
Prince Ranariddh's public affairs adviser Ok Socheat said on July 30 that the prince himself had invited the SRP to form the alliance.
Government spokesman and Information Minister Khieu Kanharith welcomed the prince's clarification and urged him to return to the country.
Prince Ranariddh made a hasty departure from Cambodia in March, after Hun Sen launched a scathing barrage of criticism against Funcinpec officials, accusing them of incompetence, nepotism and caring more about extramarital affairs than their government work
Khieu Kanharith added that it has been the CPP’s policy to form coalition governments with Funcinpec since 1993.
"The CPP and Funcinpec have never had any trouble with each other," he maintained.
SRP leader Sam Rainsy, who on July 30 welcomed the prince's reported invitation to form an alliance, said Sunday that he was no longer considering the proposal.
"We are not interested in his initiative and we are also not interested in the statement, Prince Norodom Ranariddh is a tricky man. No one is interested in him," Sam Rainsy said. He added that several thousand grass-roots Funcinpec supporters have defected to the SRP in recent months.
Ok Socheat was with the prince in Malaysia and could not be reached for comment.
Hang Puthea, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free Elections in Cambodia, said talk of an Alliance of Nationalists—which would bolster the two parties' chances in the election— appears to have rattled the CPP.
"The CPP is concerned that Sam Rainsy and Funcinpec will form the alliance. The alliance could interrupt the CPP’s work," he said.
The CPP may now adopt a more conciliatory position toward Funcinpec to ensure the alliance with the SRP is not formed, he said.
Hang Puthea said he has heard that the CPP could now give Prince Ranariddh back his position as National Assembly president in order to ensure his loyalty.
The prince resigned from the position shortly before leaving the country.
CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said the government will not return the Assembly presidency, which is now held by CPP Honorary President Heng Samrin, to the prince.
The CPP will maintain its cooperation with Funcinpec, he said, though he denied the CPP was frightened by the proposed alliance.
"We will never shake. As a CPP member, I don't think we will lose in the election," he said.
2 comments:
CPP is not shaking of SRP alliance with Rannarith, It want Ranarith bad name to pull SRP down!
CPP afraid of SRP only and alone!
SRP, don't be tricked by these mine games played by the CPP. These statements: ("The CPP is concerned that Sam Rainsy and Funcinpec will form the alliance. The alliance could interrupt the CPP’s work",.. "The CPP may now adopt a more conciliatory position toward Funcinpec to ensure the alliance with the SRP is not formed"). This is just the reversal of the CPP chess game. They love to see the SRP and F'pec joint so that SRP will be damaged so they will benefit politically. That’s an old tricks they used it again. Stand FIRM and fight alone.
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