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Opposition Party Mocks Ruling Party Over Argument of Village Chief Election Result


The opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), demands that Cambodian People Party (CPP), ruling party, accepts the result of the village chief election.

The SRP opposes any attempt for re-election of the village chief in Banteay Meanchey.

On Sum, MP from CPP and governor of Banteay Meanchey province, rejects the result of the village chief election in Poi Pet commune as he adds that four of the village chiefs elect do not resides in the village.

On Sum reportedly requests to have a re-election, or he will write a letter to Ministry of Interior for intervention.

Eng Chhay Eang, opposition MP, says the result should be accepted because all the candidacies had been accepted by commune councilors before the election. He adds that the attempt for the re-election is illegal.

On Sum told VOA on the phone that his attempt for the re-election is made in accordance with the requests by local administration and accuses SRP of bringing people from different villages in for the election while SRP officials were selected to be in charge of the election in the commune.

General Khieu Sopheak, Ministry of Interior spokesman, refuses to comment on the issue while he is waiting for the complaint.

Eng Chhay Eang criticizes the governor for using his authority to interfere with decentralization affairs at the commune level. He says SRP will send a letter to Sar Kheng, deputy prime minister and minister of interior, for intervention. He adds that his party expected to win in only about 100 out of 13,694 villages throughout the country.

Kim Sophearith, Banteay Meanchey MP from SRP, says that in Poi Pet commune, CPP won in 5 villages, SRP won in 4 and FUNCIPEC won 2 and that the complaint made by CPP is too late and SRP will not accept the re-election.

Kang Sokhoeun, the newly elected village chief, says that he has a house, land, and documents to prove that he lives in the village where he won the election and that CPP does not want SRP to have a chance to breathe.

Koul Panha, director of COMFREL, says this is more likely a political dispute, and the election is conducted to select political agents in the local level.

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