Prince Sisowath Thomico (centre) attends a CNRP press conference at the party’s headquarters in Phnom Penh earlier this year.Hong Menea
31 Oct, 2016 Shaun Turton
PPP
Upset at internal divisions within the Cambodia National Rescue Party, Prince Sisowath Thomico yesterday said he will push for a vote on whether party president Sam Rainsy should return from overseas when the opposition’s steering committee meets this week.
Rainsy went into self-imposed exile almost a year ago after the government resurrected a years-old defamation case against him while he was abroad. Despite vowing to return at the time, he instead again returned to France to avoid imprisonment. In recent weeks, the government formalised his exile, saying he was barred from entering the country, a move decried as unconstitutional.
Thomico’s plans to call for a vote on Rainsy’s return follow a statement on Facebook on Friday that said he would leave the party if its leadership did not sort out factional splits.
Speaking yesterday, he said the top leaders’ different approaches to court action against them – Rainsy’s flight abroad and CNRP vice president Kem Sokha’s decision to stay in Cambodia – had divided supporters and MPs and needed to be openly addressed by the party’s leadership.
“It’s not up to Sam Rainsy to decide by himself; he’s the president of the party, so it is the party that has to decide whether Sam Rainsy comes back or not,” said Thomico, who officially joined the party in 2013 and made an unsuccessful run for an assembly seat for Preah Sihanouk province. “In the end, Sam Rainsy will decide for himself, but the party has to decide and have a common stance.”
Though the party initially backed Rainsy’s decision to flee after he was hit with a two-year prison sentence in November last year in a case widely considered politically motivated, opinion has started to shift in recent weeks.
Sokha told Channel News Asia recently he’d like the party president to return, while Sokha’s daughter Kem Monovithya, a CNRP official, has openly criticised Rainsy on social media.
Reached yesterday, CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann said the party’s steering committee unanimously supported Rainsy’s choice of self-exile in a vote last year. He declined to say whether another vote was warranted, given a year had passed. “I respect the decision of the standing committee,” Sovann said.
Last week, Rainsy, who did not return a request for comment yesterday, said he remained determined to return.
3 comments:
As of now, the only Khmer leader alive with necessary expertise and experience to mobilize
the international community for help is Mr. Sam Rainsy.
An imprisoned or dead Rainsy cannot lead effectively or cannot lead at all.
A Khmer Patriot
Ah Kwack kept hitting the CNRP.
Kem Sokha committed a huge mistake by fucking around like a stray dog.
The CNRP's supporters who love Cambodia have spent their precious time to protect Kem Sokha's penis. They don't support Kem Sokha's stupidity, but they don't want to see the CNRP goes down.
Kem Sokha might have felt that he was a brave man by defying Ah Kouk Hun Sen's order. Actually, Kem Sokha was just so shameful to show his face in court.
Now, Ah Kouk Hun Sen is stepping up his attack on Kem Sokha who has worried that he would be in deep trouble if Sam Rainsy does not return and protect his penis.
Sam Rainsy should not play the role of "stupid hero" by returning home and let Ah Kwack kill him or poison him.
It is apparent that Kem Sokha's penis has caused a lot of problems to Khmer nationalists now. That penis poses a dilemma for Sam Rainsy: should Sam Rainsy return or not return.
It would be nice if Sam Rainsy returned to support Um Sam An or Hong Sok Hour who have raised their concerns about Cambodia territorial integrity.
Return to protect Kama Sokha's penis is not a good idea.
In order to proceed with the election campaigns for both the 2017 and 2018 elections all across the country, may I suggest a compromised resolution:
1. Let Mr. Sam Rainsy and Mr. Kem Sokha each select their own Member Representatives
to act on their behalves so that they conduct the campaigns all across the country in minds
and spirit.
2. The two selected Officers must be approved by the CNRP's Special Committee
3. Once approved, the two Representatives must agree and sign a Memorandum of
Understanding they will revert back duties and functions to Mr. Rainsy and Mr. Sokha
after July 2018 and / or when appropriate as deemed by the CNRP.
A Khmer Patriot
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