Thomico-Party Defector Forms His Own Group
By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
A disgruntled former member of Prince Sisowath Thomico's fledgling Sangkum Jatiniyum Front Party has defected to form his own similarly named party, after accusing the prince of holding anti-democratic ideals.
Ban Sophal said Sunday that he founded the Sangkum Yutithor, or Society of Justice Party two weeks ago, after rapidly becoming disillusioned with the prince's politics.
"Prince Thomico is not a democrat and he cannot lead the country to eliminate corruption and achieve prosperity," he said.
He also said Prince Thomico refused to listen to him when he opposed the prince's calls for Funcinpec to be dissolved. He added that the SJFP's platform is undemocratic because it allows the party to potentially fire its lawmakers.
The Interior Ministry's Department of Political Affairs has registered Ban Sophal's party and it is now free to begin its operations, said Lay Voharith, the department's director.
Voters will not be confused by the two similarly named parties, he said.
The Interior Ministry has refused to register Prince Thomico's SJFP, saying it has not provided adequate information about its political platform and the location of its offices.
SJFP officials counter that they have been trying to register since July, and have accused officials of political sabotage.
Prince Thomico declined comment on the new party, but said Ban Sophal did not sign the prince's alliance with four little-known political groups in July.
Prior to joining the SJFP, Ban Sophal worked as an adviser to SRP leader Sam Rainsy, but left in 1999. Ban Sophal said he quit in protest at the party's nepotism. But SRP Acting Secretary-General Meng Ritha said Ban Sophal was fired for disobeying the party's internal rules and talking too much.
Meng Ritha also speculated that the new party might be a CPP ploy to divide Prince Thomico's votes.
"This is a CPP trick to form small parties to disrupt any opposition party," he claimed.
Minister of Information and government spokesman Khieu Kanharith dismissed the allegation.
"We don't have money to buy small parties. We keep the money to strengthen our party," he said.
This is not the first time the CPP has been accused of promoting factionalism in rival parties.
In February 1998, the Interior Ministry ordered Sam Rainsy's then-Khmer Nation Party to change its name and logo after Kong Mony, the leader of a renegade faction of the party, attempted to register for the elections under the same name.
A similar fate befell the Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party. From 1995 to 1997, the BLDP, 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 the BLDPs name and logo in court.
The balkanized BLDP, which held 10 seats in 1993, disintegrated and won no seat in 1998.
Ban Sophal said Sunday that he founded the Sangkum Yutithor, or Society of Justice Party two weeks ago, after rapidly becoming disillusioned with the prince's politics.
"Prince Thomico is not a democrat and he cannot lead the country to eliminate corruption and achieve prosperity," he said.
He also said Prince Thomico refused to listen to him when he opposed the prince's calls for Funcinpec to be dissolved. He added that the SJFP's platform is undemocratic because it allows the party to potentially fire its lawmakers.
The Interior Ministry's Department of Political Affairs has registered Ban Sophal's party and it is now free to begin its operations, said Lay Voharith, the department's director.
Voters will not be confused by the two similarly named parties, he said.
The Interior Ministry has refused to register Prince Thomico's SJFP, saying it has not provided adequate information about its political platform and the location of its offices.
SJFP officials counter that they have been trying to register since July, and have accused officials of political sabotage.
Prince Thomico declined comment on the new party, but said Ban Sophal did not sign the prince's alliance with four little-known political groups in July.
Prior to joining the SJFP, Ban Sophal worked as an adviser to SRP leader Sam Rainsy, but left in 1999. Ban Sophal said he quit in protest at the party's nepotism. But SRP Acting Secretary-General Meng Ritha said Ban Sophal was fired for disobeying the party's internal rules and talking too much.
Meng Ritha also speculated that the new party might be a CPP ploy to divide Prince Thomico's votes.
"This is a CPP trick to form small parties to disrupt any opposition party," he claimed.
Minister of Information and government spokesman Khieu Kanharith dismissed the allegation.
"We don't have money to buy small parties. We keep the money to strengthen our party," he said.
This is not the first time the CPP has been accused of promoting factionalism in rival parties.
In February 1998, the Interior Ministry ordered Sam Rainsy's then-Khmer Nation Party to change its name and logo after Kong Mony, the leader of a renegade faction of the party, attempted to register for the elections under the same name.
A similar fate befell the Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party. From 1995 to 1997, the BLDP, 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 the BLDPs name and logo in court.
The balkanized BLDP, which held 10 seats in 1993, disintegrated and won no seat in 1998.
6 comments:
We all know the CPP puts its spies in all political parties. It's a well-known tactic called "divide and weaken". They have been using this technique after their defeat in the 1993 election, and we have seen a major political movement after another falling victims to this strategy. The break-away spies always come up with similar reasons to hide their real objective.
The fact that the CPP controls all state apparatuses makes its job much easier. They are scums of the earth, and they know nothing about fair play. We will see that after the spies create their break-away parties, which are usually funded by the CPP with state money, they will continue to attack the original parties until both go into demise. Then, the parasites will quietly pack up and wait for their next order.
These guys just create political parties to fulfill their ambition and positions. If they are really care and love real democracy...they would joint the existing party (ie. SRP) already.
You watch when closer to the general election, there will be a lot of parties popup like mushrooms from the bullshit; despire many created by CPP. And later just gone with the wind!
RM
before, Samrainsy was my hero, my hope. But now I notice he has changed his mind. He often keeps silent from doing comments (23 Samrainsy paliamentarian voted the law that limits his members speech, not only 10 as pretended, and in the other hand all his parliamentarian voted against the adultary law). Isn'it strange?
YUON XEN may have suggested him a positon of Prime Minister of the future 2008 ogvernment?
In my opinion, if Thomico continue to stand stand firm against YUON XEN, I will strongly support him.
Sophal, from my point of view you are not mature enough to work as a politician. As the first start you thought Prince Thomico's party like a carrot, and after a short moment you thought it is like a stick instead. People without firm political stand like you is just like Chan Kambek del sombey te chke kor min rob rok de (is just like a broken plate which has no value even for the dog)...
ToWriter @8:16pm,
As a real leader and very educated like H.E. Sam Rainsy, you can’t make comments to every issues. His principles and visions are still the same! Please tell me who is better than him in the last 2 or 3 decades in Cambodian history? none!
Please see samrainsyparty.org.com for his activities.
Cheers,
RM
Well, until now I found no party who really care and love real democracy. They try to do everything to support their ambition. They dare to kill people in order to get the pilitical honor !
There are always the currupting ... since they start to create the party (not yet WIN) even in Funsunpic or SRP !
I am wonder, why there are always the comment againt VN but none of comment againt Thailand ? or Cambodia have never been violated by Thailand ?
I really happy that SRP, take action to the violation of VN to Cambodia but y not Thailand ? is he really care Cambodia or just for the political reason ???
So is that good to joint ???
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