CPP Reiterates Political Alliance with Funcinpec

Honorary CPP President Heng Samrin reaffirmed Monday mor­n­ing his party’s commitment to a long-term political alliance with Prince Norodom Ranariddh’s Fun­cin­­pec, but stressed that neither party depends on the other for success at the polls.

While both parties are committed to working together in the next co­ali­tion government, each has to work on its own to earn votes, he said.

“We must depend on our own [abil­ities],” Heng Samrin told re­porters outside the National As­sembly. “We are on our own when it comes to winning votes.”

Heng Samrin, who is also first vice president of the National As­sem­bly, added that he doesn’t con­si­der Funcinpec a weak party.

“I don’t assume the Funcinpec is weak or strong,” he said. “One par­ty has certain strengths, the other party has different ones.”

Asked if Funcinpec could “de­pend on” the CPP, Heng Samrin re­plied: “If they depend solely on the CPP, the CPP will grab all [Fun­cin­pec’s votes]. [Funcinpec] must de­pend on its own abilities.”

He nonetheless claimed the CPP-Fun­cin­pec alliance would continue as long as Funcinpec has seats in the Na­tional Assembly.

“This alliance cannot be dissolved,” he said.

Funcinpec spokesman Chea Chan­­­­­boribo repeated Funcinpec Pres­­­ident Prince Ranariddh’s claims that the CPP-Funcinpec al­liance will help Cambodia gain the confidence of foreign investors.

“This alliance is important to en­sure the stability of the country,” he said.

Heng Samrin also said that the CPP would hold its extraordinary congress before the end of 2005 to plan for the party’s future.

The CPP is supportive of Hun Sen as prime minister for his current term, Heng Samrin said, but he ad­ded that the party has not yet de­cided on whether Hun Sen will be nom­­inated for another term as­ prime minister.

Asked if there were other prime ministerial candidates, he said: “We don’t have any yet…. Leave the decision to the party congress.”