Opposition Party Mocks Ruling Party Over Argument of Village Chief Election Result

Opposition Party Mocks Ruling Party Over Argument of Village Chief
Election Result
Sothea Tith
Phnom Penh
29/06/2006


The opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), demands that Cambodian People
Party (CPP), ruling party, accepts the result of the village chief
election.

The SRP opposes any attempt for re-election of the village chief in
Banteay Meanchey.

On Sum, MP from CPP and governor of Banteay Meanchey province, rejects
the result of the village chief election in Poi Pet commune as he adds
that four of the village chiefs elect do not resides in the village.

On Sum reportedly requests to have a re-election, or he will write a
letter to Ministry of Interior for intervention.

Eng Chhay Eang, opposition MP, says the result should be accepted
because all the candidacies had been accepted by commune councilors
before the election. He adds that the attempt for the re-election is
illegal.

On Sum told VOA on the phone that his attempt for the re-election is
made in accordance with the requests by local administration and
accuses SRP of bringing people from different villages in for the
election while SRP officials were selected to be in charge of the
election in the commune.

General Khieu Sopheak, Ministry of Interior spokesman, refuses to
comment on the issue while he is waiting for the complaint.

Eng Chhay Eang criticizes the governor for using his authority to
interfere with decentralization affairs at the commune level. He says
SRP will send a letter to Sar Kheng, deputy prime minister and minister
of interior, for intervention. He adds that his party expected to win
in only about 100 out of 13,694 villages throughout the country.

Kim Sophearith, Banteay Meanchey MP from SRP, says that in Poi Pet
commune, CPP won in 5 villages, SRP won in 4 and FUNCIPEC won 2 and
that the complaint made by CPP is too late and SRP will not accept the
re-election.

Kang Sokhoeun, the newly elected village chief, says that he has a
house, land, and documents to prove that he lives in the village where
he won the election and that CPP does not want SRP to have a chance to
breathe.

Koul Panha, director of COMFREL, says this is more likely a political
dispute, and the election is conducted to select political agents in
the local level.

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