Thy Sovantha appointed to CPP local committee

Mech Dara | Publication date 11 March 2018 | 19:50 ICT

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Social media personality Thy Sovantha arrives at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court before a hearing in April 2016. Pha Lina Pha Lina

In a slate of more than a hundred promotions, former opposition supporter and current ruling Cambodian People’s Party darling Thy Sovantha has been appointed first deputy director of the party’s Troeuy Sla commune committee in Kandal province.

The CPP decision, signed on March 9 by Prime Minister Hun Sen – who is also head of the Kandal provincial board – promotes 141 people to positions in the party’s commune committee.

The commune is located in Sa’ang district, which stands under Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn’s leadership.

After enthusiastically supporting the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party to her thousands of Facebook friends during the 2013 elections, Sovantha abruptly turned against the party, becoming a card-carrying CPP member and filing a number of lawsuits against opposition members.

Among the other promoted politicians is oknha Chea Chamroeun, a former CPP supporter who founded his own Cambodian Liberty Party in November 2015 and has now been appointed deputy-director of the commune’s local CPP committee.

Srey Chamroeun, an outspoken CNRP critic who had led a campaign against now-jailed CNRP President Kem Sokha, was appointed the deputy director of the party’s commune secretariat.

Sovantha, meanwhile, had pledged to launch a legal lawsuit against Srey Chamroeun and Phe Sovannarith in December 2016.

She will now be working closely with senior staff of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication, namely Khov Makara, Tol Nhork, Ky Leng and Cheang Sopheak, who were also named part of the committee.

Controversial CPP figure Duong Chhay, who is the son of tycoon Duong Ngiep and was convicted of beating and threatening to kill the son of tycoon Try Pheap, was promoted deputy director of the committee alongside his wife, Det Maline.

Party spokesperson Sok Eysan said on Sunday they had promoted Sovantha and others because “they all have achievements”.