Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Prime Minister Hun Sen speaks yesterday in Phnom Penh at the inauguration of National Road 3. Photo by: Mai Vireak
Phnom Penh Post
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday accused the opposition Sam Rainsy Party of having a covert plan to subvert passage of next year’s national budget and threatened legal action against any of its members who continued to compare him to Muammar Gaddafi, the former Libyan leader killed last month after a months-long revolution.
“It is painful and insulting to be compared to Gaddafi, and to compare my fate to his,” Hun Sen said. “I am not going to take violent action. I will take legal action if I catch you continuing to compare [me] to Gaddafi.”
Hun Sen’s remarks came while he was speaking to about 1,000 villagers at a ceremony opening the refurbished and widened National Road No 3, which connects Phnom Penh with Kampot province.
The premier also said he had obtained “secret information” that the SRP was attempting to subvert the passage of next year’s budget by forcing four parliamentarians to resign from their seats in the 123-seat National Assembly.
This would result in the legislative body not having the 120 MPs necessary for it to function. Article 76 of the Constitution required that the National Assembly have at least 120 MPs, Hun Sen said.
“The most important of its [SRP] intentions is to prevent us borrowing money from China. When four SRP parliamentarians resign, the National Assembly will consist of only 119 members, and therefore it cannot pass [the budget law],” Hun Sen said, adding that the SRP was attempting to “fully destroy the nation”.
Stepping up his attack, he called for all SRP MPs to resign and allow the National Election Committee to divide their seats among other parties.
He also said internal disputes within the SRP would see it split into five factions, and that it was trying to avoid drawing attention to its own problems by creating havoc inside the National Assembly. Once the National Assembly was in crisis, the SRP would then call for the international community to put pressure on the ruling party, and claim it lacked legitimacy.
“You [SRP] want the international community to put pressure on me, but it is not easy, and if international diplomats are not clear [about the SRP’s manoeuvring], please come to pick up [recorded conservations of SRP members] at my Cabinet,” Hun Sen said, referring to alleged secret tapings of conversations between SRP members.
SRP spokesman Yim Sovann dismissed Hun Sen’s allegations, saying the SRP was preparing for the Senate elections in January. Some of its MPs would resign to run for seats in the Senate, he said. “We have no intention to prevent the national budget passing at the National Assembly.
“However, we want a more effective and responsible [use of government funds] for the nation and the people, because debt from borrowing from foreign countries, which is included in the national budget, lacks transparency and fuels corruption.”
SRP MP Mu Sochua told the Post on Sunday there was “a concerted effort under way to undermine the party’s effort to expand its influence in the Senate”, whose members are elected by commune councils.
The SRP had made significant gains in the 2007 commune council elections, winning 2,660 of the 11,353 seats nationwide.
It held two seats in the Senate and expected to win 10 or 11, she said.
additional reporting by Kim Yuthana and Vincent Maclsaac
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday accused the opposition Sam Rainsy Party of having a covert plan to subvert passage of next year’s national budget and threatened legal action against any of its members who continued to compare him to Muammar Gaddafi, the former Libyan leader killed last month after a months-long revolution.
“It is painful and insulting to be compared to Gaddafi, and to compare my fate to his,” Hun Sen said. “I am not going to take violent action. I will take legal action if I catch you continuing to compare [me] to Gaddafi.”
Hun Sen’s remarks came while he was speaking to about 1,000 villagers at a ceremony opening the refurbished and widened National Road No 3, which connects Phnom Penh with Kampot province.
The premier also said he had obtained “secret information” that the SRP was attempting to subvert the passage of next year’s budget by forcing four parliamentarians to resign from their seats in the 123-seat National Assembly.
This would result in the legislative body not having the 120 MPs necessary for it to function. Article 76 of the Constitution required that the National Assembly have at least 120 MPs, Hun Sen said.
“The most important of its [SRP] intentions is to prevent us borrowing money from China. When four SRP parliamentarians resign, the National Assembly will consist of only 119 members, and therefore it cannot pass [the budget law],” Hun Sen said, adding that the SRP was attempting to “fully destroy the nation”.
Stepping up his attack, he called for all SRP MPs to resign and allow the National Election Committee to divide their seats among other parties.
He also said internal disputes within the SRP would see it split into five factions, and that it was trying to avoid drawing attention to its own problems by creating havoc inside the National Assembly. Once the National Assembly was in crisis, the SRP would then call for the international community to put pressure on the ruling party, and claim it lacked legitimacy.
“You [SRP] want the international community to put pressure on me, but it is not easy, and if international diplomats are not clear [about the SRP’s manoeuvring], please come to pick up [recorded conservations of SRP members] at my Cabinet,” Hun Sen said, referring to alleged secret tapings of conversations between SRP members.
SRP spokesman Yim Sovann dismissed Hun Sen’s allegations, saying the SRP was preparing for the Senate elections in January. Some of its MPs would resign to run for seats in the Senate, he said. “We have no intention to prevent the national budget passing at the National Assembly.
“However, we want a more effective and responsible [use of government funds] for the nation and the people, because debt from borrowing from foreign countries, which is included in the national budget, lacks transparency and fuels corruption.”
SRP MP Mu Sochua told the Post on Sunday there was “a concerted effort under way to undermine the party’s effort to expand its influence in the Senate”, whose members are elected by commune councils.
The SRP had made significant gains in the 2007 commune council elections, winning 2,660 of the 11,353 seats nationwide.
It held two seats in the Senate and expected to win 10 or 11, she said.
additional reporting by Kim Yuthana and Vincent Maclsaac
5 comments:
I am not a big fan of Hun Sen and I don't mind people compare him to kadafi; however his claimed about SRP spliting is corrected 100%. His claimed about the secret plan is 100% corrected. I don't think SRP intention to destroy the nation; this is false statement. Hun Sen just added more recipe which is normal for politician to do. Using legal action to shut people up is western style tactics from his American advisor. Overall, CPP will continue to rule the country until there is true united among democracy lover.
10:44 PM, I agree with your assessment because an opposition whose leader was banned from returning to the country and with non-stop external interference, especially from Hun sen himself, is poised to have internal squabbling. However, before talking about the SRP's split, Hun Sen should have a hard look at the unity of his CPP also. Without the state resources, court, police, military and money, Hun Sen is not as strong as he is now. He used state resources to kill Son Sann Party, Funcinpec, the Chea Sim faction and now tried his hand with the SRP. He is like a mad dog, Chke Chkourt, who bikes everybody around him. But, one day all other dogs that he has biten will unite and bit him back. I think Hun Sen's accusation about the SRP's "secret plan" is just a concoction, no truth in it, it is just Hun Sen's fabrication to find an excuse to crack down on the SRP.
The comment above; you are absolutely right. However, I do want to see Mu Sochua run for Prime Minister. I am not sure if Sam Rainsy, the party leader will allow it to happen. She is great candidate. She always helping the poor. Think about this; with her education background, she can easily make money in America running a non profit agency but she choses to sacrafice her salary for the sake of saving Cambodia. Hun Sen will have a tast of real opponent if Mu Sochua run for Prime Minister. Don't get me wrong about Sam Rainsy, he is great man but I think Cambodia is ready for woman to lead the country. We have some many men screw up the country. Remember back in the day when Cambodia was strong. I am talking about the beginning of establishing Cambodia. We have Preah Neang Soma who was great Cambodian leader. Cambodia needs woman to lead the country like the old day. I am not bias again man but Mu Sochua is more than qualify to run Cambodia.
I am agreed 200% with 3:00am .We need to change the leadership that care for the people and united every khmers to protect our nation .She is well qualify to lead khmer nation from a jaw of a vietnamization. May god bless khmer nation!!!!
WE KHMER
You abused and killed Khmer people, you will die by the hands of innocent Khmer people. The prime minister fate will end the same way.
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