Former Military Region 4 Commander Khann Savoeun will stand for election to the National Assembly as a Funcinpec candidate in Kompong Cham, a party spokesman confirmed Tuesday.
“He expressed his willingness to stand for election and we as a party, we believed that he was the most qualified person for Kompong Cham,” explained Funcinpec Secretary-General Tol Lah.
The electoral law requires members of the military to renounce their military standing and rank in order to campaign. However, it is unclear if Khann Savoeun, the deputy commander of resistance forces since July, must notify the Ministry of Defense of his decision to run in elections.
General Nem Sowath, director of Cabinet for the Ministry of Defense, said Tuesday that Khann Savoeun is not considered to be a member of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.
“I don’t know how the ministry will deal with him,” Nem Sowath said.
Khann Savoeun came to Phnom Penh this month for the first time since before last July’s factional fighting in order to negotiate the reintegration of troops loyal to deposed first prime minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh.
He later took himself out of the negotiations, blaming a plot to frame him as a supporter of hard-line Khmer Rouge guerrillas.
