SRP and HRP reject rumor of party members defecting to the CPP

29 Nov 2009
By Ayuthyea
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

High-ranking SRP and HRP officials rejected information that their party members left to join the ruling CPP party.

Mrs. Ke Sovanroth, SRP Secretary-general, told RFA in the afternoon of 29 November that her party did not yet receive the information regarding party members allegedly joining the CPP. Furthermore, the information reporting that a group of up to 20 Sam Rainsy’s bodyguards left to join the CPP is also not true because Sam Rainsy never had such a large number of bodyguards.

Mrs. Ke Sovanroth indicated: “There was none! By what I know, the bodyguard group for H.E. Sam Rainsy does not amount to 24, he only has 2 personal bodyguards. Up to now, I did not receive this information yet.”

On the other hand, Kem Sokha, HRP President, said that his party did not lose any party member to the CPP in Phnom Penh and in other provinces. Quite to the contrary, every month, several thousands of CPP party members went to join the HRP instead.

Kem Sokha said: “For the HRP, I did not lose any party member. Therefore, I don’t know where they get these party members from, or maybe they could be party members who left since long ago. For my party members, according to our structure, there was no loss. We only saw the CPP [party members] who came to join us, between two to three thousands each month.”

Recently, a number of local newspapers quoted CPP officials as saying that hundreds of SRP and HRP joined the ruling CPP, however this claim was immediately rejected by both opposition parties.

Director of “Samleng Yuvachun Khmer” jumps the NRP ship to join the CPP

08 Oct 2008
By Duong Sokha
Ka-set
Unofficial tanslationom French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French
Click here to read the article in Khmer

On Wednesday 08 October, it was learnt that Keo Sothea, director of the daily newspaper Samleng Yuvachun Khmer (Voice of Khmer Youth), close to the Norodom Ranariddh Party, has joined the ruling CPP. The defection follows the political pullout and resignation of Prince Norodom Ranariddh, the former NRP president.

“I explained my decision to join the CPP in a letter sent to them,” Keo Sothea explained when he was contacted by Ka-set over the phone. “I knew, through Keo Remy [ex-president of the HRP disciplinary committee and new CPP member], who served as the intermediary between myself and my new party, that I was welcomed by them.” Furthermore, Keo Sothea indicated that there will be no change at his newspaper political direction: “The NRP was also favorable to the government.”

When Keo Sothea took over his position in 1999 to head the Samleng Yuvachun Khmer, the newspaper was then close to Funcinpec. Following the [Funcinpec] crisis in 2006, he then turned to the NRP.

Up until now, Keo Sothea was a member of the NRP director committee and administration council – the NRP obtained two seats during the 27 July general election – he said that he does not know yet what position he will be given within the CPP government.

Officials from 2 parties are defecting

Saturday, February 02, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media

2 officials from the Funcinpec party and one from the SRP defected their parties to join Hun Sen’s CPP. The Koh Santepheap newspaper reported that Sin Pin Sen and So Victor, both high-ranking Funcinpec officials, have decided to leave their party to join the CPP. Ahmed Yahya, SRP MP, also defected from the SRP to join the CPP also. Mrs. Mu Sochua, SRP Deputy Secretary-general, told Koh Santepheap that indeed, Ahmed Yahya left the SRP. She said that this was his decision, and there should be no problem within the SRP. Prince Sisowath Thomico blamed the defection of high ranking Funcinpec officials on the bad governance of current Funcinpec party leaders. The prince said that, in the past, people criticized the weak leadership of Prince Ranariddh, but he said that now, (the new party leaders) could not even stop the party bleeding.