CPP to continue coalition gov't with Funcinpec if wins election

Hun Sen flanked by Nhiek Bunchhay (r) who is a Secretary-General of the Funcinpec Party.

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian People's Party (CPP) will again establish coalition government with the co-ruling Funcinpec Party if it wins the general election in July and Funcinpec has some seats in the National Assembly, said Prime Minister Hun Sen Monday.
"If CPP wins the majority of votes for the general election in July, we will continue to create coalition government with Funcinpec, because the achievements of economic growth and stability of our country in the last decade came from our partnership," he told a school inauguration ceremony in Kampong Thom province.
"I believe that Funcinpec will win some seats in the National Assembly during the election (which is a prerequisite for the coalition)," he said.
However, he said, if Funcinpec can't find even one single seat, CPP can still establish the government alone upon it winning of the majority of votes.
"CPP will lead the government alone without negotiating with other parties, but we can provide some positions for Funcinpec officials like under-secretary of state," he said.
If CPP loses the general election, it will become opposition party without any bargain, he added.
Funcinpec recently encountered its crisis worst ever, as it had poor records during the April 1 commune councils election and a number of its senior officials defected to CPP or other parties in the past months.
CPP and Funcinpec has co-governed the kingdom since 1993. During the last general election in 2003, CPP won 73 seats at the National Assembly, Funcinpec 26 and the opposition Sam Rainsy Party 24.
Editor: Bi Mingxin