Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday charged that certain politicians were buying their way into positions in the new government and warned that such a practice would backfire.
Though the three main political parties have yet to discuss the allocation of positions in a future government, politicians have been paying their party large sums to secure posts, Hun Sen said.
He did not specify which individuals or parties were involved in the alleged position-dealing, but made clear the offenders were not members of his own CPP party.
“I know that [political parties] are selling their seats,” he said during a pagoda inauguration ceremony in Kompong Cham province, broadcast on Apsara Radio.
“But be careful. When the new government cannot be formed after a long time, [those who have paid for positions] will ask for their money back,” he warned.
Hun Sen said those who were paying for positions would not be guaranteed jobs since he, as prime minister, would have to give his signature of approval to appoint district and provincial officials.
The offenders, Hun Sen said, “claim they want to eliminate corruption…[but] when they get their positions, they will be corrupt.”
Sam Rainsy Party’s Secretary-General Eng Chhay Eang rejected the prime minister’s allegations Monday, saying no such practice occurred within his party.
“Our Sam Rainsy Party’s culture does not allow the selling of seats. We offer positions to those officials who are qualified and patriotic,” Eng Chhay Eang said.
Funcinpec’s spokesman Kassie Neou declined to comment on Hun Sen’s allegations on Monday.
Funcinpec and CPP officials met Monday afternoon to discuss the remaining points of a new policy platform, which they are trying to establish for the new government.
“The meeting today moved a little bit backward,” Kassie Neou told reporters following the meeting at the Council for the Development of Cambodia, since the two sides failed to reach any further agreements on their
73-point policy plan. Another meeting between the two parties is scheduled for Wednesday.
