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Monday, April 23, 2007

Cambodia's co-ruling party to beef up membership for general election in 2008

The co-ruling Funcinpec Party has conducted a seminar to strengthen its membership at all levels across the country to secure its success in the general election to be held in July 2008.

"This seminar will help us find our weakness and strength our membership," said Keo Puth Rasmey, party president and son-in-law of retired King Norodom Sihanouk, while mentioning the party's waterloo in the commune councils election, which was held on April 1 to degrade Funcinpec from the second largest party of the kingdom to the fourth.

"(Through the seminar) we also find some good strategies to secure our success in the general election in 2008," he said in the party's headquarters in Phnom Penh.

"I strongly hope we will win in 2008," he added.

Meanwhile, he stressed Funcinpec's determination to continue its cooperation with the major ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), even if Funcinpec was unsatisfied with its performance in the recent election.

"We did not get the majority of votes because we reformed our party too late in October 2006. So our supporters have hesitation for voting for us," he said.

"The matters of turmoil caused by the previous leader are also factors that led to our defeat," he added.

Funcinpec replaced Prince Norodom Ranariddh with Keo Puth Rasmey in October 2006 for the prince failed to live up to its duty and being unable to cooperate with Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The party was originally established by former king Sihanouk to win independence from France and lead the kingdom's first cabinet in 1993. It later switched to co-ruling party, as CPP gained more and more popularity.

Source: Xinhua

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