Poipet Village Chiefs Can't Be Sworn In: Official
By Yun Samean and John Maloy
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
A senior Interior Ministry official said Thursday that the ministry would not recognize 11 village chiefs who the SRP plans to swear in next week in Banteay Meanchey province's Poipet commune.
The SRP announced Thursday that party leader Sam Rainsy will hold ceremonies for the 11 village chiefs—four of whom are SRP members—who were elected June 21.
But Interior Ministry General Department Director Sak Setha said the ministry will not acknowledge the 11 due to an ongoing investigation into alleged voting irregularities reported by the province's CPP governor On Sum shortly after the vote for the village chiefs.
New elections might have to be held in some of the villages, he said.
Sak Setha also took issue with the SRP holding such a ceremony. "Village chiefs do not belong to any political party," Sak Setha maintained. "SRP cannot do that."
Five CPP members and two Funcinpec officials are among the 11 village chiefs.
On Sum said he had sent a request to the Interior Ministry to hold re-elections for all 11 villages, but has received no response.
He said he objected to the election results because the village chiefs did not live in the communities they were going to head.
The SRP said in a statement that it sent a letter on June 28 to the Interior Ministry informing them of the election outcome but received no answer. The statement said the SRP has taken this silence as an acknowledgement by the ministry of the election results.
Sam Rainsy said that only 50 of approximately 14,000 village chiefs nationwide belong to the SRP. He said that the Interior Ministry was in no position to deny the results of the election, let alone call for a rerun.
He added that the CPP were "sore losers." Sam Rainsy said the CPP wanted to control every village chief so it can manipulate villagers during the 2007 commune elections.
The SRP announced Thursday that party leader Sam Rainsy will hold ceremonies for the 11 village chiefs—four of whom are SRP members—who were elected June 21.
But Interior Ministry General Department Director Sak Setha said the ministry will not acknowledge the 11 due to an ongoing investigation into alleged voting irregularities reported by the province's CPP governor On Sum shortly after the vote for the village chiefs.
New elections might have to be held in some of the villages, he said.
Sak Setha also took issue with the SRP holding such a ceremony. "Village chiefs do not belong to any political party," Sak Setha maintained. "SRP cannot do that."
Five CPP members and two Funcinpec officials are among the 11 village chiefs.
On Sum said he had sent a request to the Interior Ministry to hold re-elections for all 11 villages, but has received no response.
He said he objected to the election results because the village chiefs did not live in the communities they were going to head.
The SRP said in a statement that it sent a letter on June 28 to the Interior Ministry informing them of the election outcome but received no answer. The statement said the SRP has taken this silence as an acknowledgement by the ministry of the election results.
Sam Rainsy said that only 50 of approximately 14,000 village chiefs nationwide belong to the SRP. He said that the Interior Ministry was in no position to deny the results of the election, let alone call for a rerun.
He added that the CPP were "sore losers." Sam Rainsy said the CPP wanted to control every village chief so it can manipulate villagers during the 2007 commune elections.
2 comments:
CPP you should be embarrassed yourseves.
You are ridiculous...what more you want? These only the villages that you can't cheat...
You all play gam! SRZP too if you are playing game with us you will go to hell with Ah hun sen.
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