Funcinpec Appoints 7 Former SRP to City Posts

Funcinpec has appointed seven former Sam Rainsy Party members who defected to the royalist party to be deputy district governors in Phnom Penh, Funcinpec of­ficials said Sunday, adding that about 500 more promised party ap­pointments would be made by the end of the month.

Mam Bun Neang, Phnom Penh’s first deputy governor, on Sunday said all seven appointees were former Funcinpec officials who defected to the SRP but later re­turned to the royalist fold.

“Now they come back because they see that the SRP is not good,” he boasted.

The appointments were the re­sult of an agreement between Fun­cin­pec President Prince Norodom Ra­nariddh and Prime Minister Hun Sen, he said, adding that the ap­pointments were not aimed at hurting the opposition.

Chhim Seak Leng, Funcinpec de­puty secretary-general, said Sun­day that Prince Ranariddh had or­dered all of the long-awaited 500 roy­alist appointments to be made by the end of the month.

“We are pushing for their ap­point­ment,” he said.

Hun Sen in May promised the prince that the appointments would be made by June 15, but they have since been delayed. Some speculated that CPP officials were jockeying for the slots initially reserved for Funcinpec.

Sam Rainsy Party Secretary-Gen­eral Eng Chhay Eang offered Fun­cinpec his sarcastic congratulations Sunday.

“I hope Funcinpec can appoint other officials,” he said. “If Fun­cin­pec has more positions, maybe even more will go [to their party].”

He added that Funcinpec officials have in the past fled to the SRP “for no position but for ideals and conscience.”

 

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