Thomico: Someone is conducting an opinion poll on the removal of the monarchyFriday, May 16, 2008
Rasmei Kampuchea
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
On 14 May, Prince Sisowath Thomico criticized a person, whom the prince believe to be a SRP supporter, conducting an opinion poll on which regime should be preserved: the monarchy or the republic.
After returning from France on 12 May, Prince Thomico said: “I was surprised when I arrived in France, I saw a SRP supporter conducting an opinion poll from overseas asking which regime to preserve: the monarchy or the republic.” Prince Thomico added that this opinion poll was (also) conducted by email and the email was forwarded to a large number of people.
When asked about who was the email sender, Prince Thomico could not tell which role this person plays within the SRP. He only said that he knew that the person used to support the SRP. However, the prince is not sure if this person still supports the SRP or not anymore, because a number of people have left the party.
Nevertheless, Thomico considers that the SRP is a party that does not have a royalist tendency, and that it leaning towards a republican regime. The prince said: “I am not sure if the SRP is royalist or not. If it is not, then it can be pro-republican.”
Prince Thomico is known to be close to Hero-King Norodom Sihanouk.
However, Eng Chhay Eang, SRP Secretary-general, rejected this accusation, saying that his party is not involved in any email opinion poll. He said that the party bylaw and internal rules stipulate that the party abides by the constitutional monarchy. Eng Chhay Eang also criticized that he does not know where the prince got his email from, and that the prince is always changing his minds, making it difficult to understand him sometimes. Eng Chhay Eang said that he does not pay attention to the prince’s words because whatever the prince said, it was not clear.
The email shown by Prince Thomico requested the recipient to vote at the following website:
which is owned by Sourn Serey Ratha, President of the CACJE mission.
After returning from France on 12 May, Prince Thomico said: “I was surprised when I arrived in France, I saw a SRP supporter conducting an opinion poll from overseas asking which regime to preserve: the monarchy or the republic.” Prince Thomico added that this opinion poll was (also) conducted by email and the email was forwarded to a large number of people.
When asked about who was the email sender, Prince Thomico could not tell which role this person plays within the SRP. He only said that he knew that the person used to support the SRP. However, the prince is not sure if this person still supports the SRP or not anymore, because a number of people have left the party.
Nevertheless, Thomico considers that the SRP is a party that does not have a royalist tendency, and that it leaning towards a republican regime. The prince said: “I am not sure if the SRP is royalist or not. If it is not, then it can be pro-republican.”
Prince Thomico is known to be close to Hero-King Norodom Sihanouk.
However, Eng Chhay Eang, SRP Secretary-general, rejected this accusation, saying that his party is not involved in any email opinion poll. He said that the party bylaw and internal rules stipulate that the party abides by the constitutional monarchy. Eng Chhay Eang also criticized that he does not know where the prince got his email from, and that the prince is always changing his minds, making it difficult to understand him sometimes. Eng Chhay Eang said that he does not pay attention to the prince’s words because whatever the prince said, it was not clear.
The email shown by Prince Thomico requested the recipient to vote at the following website:
which is owned by Sourn Serey Ratha, President of the CACJE mission.
