Mam Sonando, a prominent radio station director and government critic, announced Friday that he would resign from his position as head of the Association of Democrats, an NGO he founded in 2010, in order to create a new political party to stand in the upcoming commune and national elections.
“I officially announce my resignation today, because I cannot be the president of the Association of Democrats at the same time that I am president of a political party,” he said.
Mr. Sonando plans to register his new party, the Beehive Social Democratic Party, with the Ministry of Interior by the first week of July.
He said he was forming the new party after becoming disillusioned with the opposition CNRP as well as the government.
“The obligation of an opposition party is to seek change through parliament, not to toast with the ruling party,” he said. “[The] people’s will is to demand change, so I’m pretty sure I will win the next election.”
Mr. Sonando said he would continue to serve as president of Beehive Radio, the station he founded, and that Huon Pannary, the secretary-general of the Association of Democrats, would take over the NGO.
