Cambodia's SRP can't be partner for CPP in government: Hun Sen

The Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) can' t become a partner for the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) in the government for its performance at the local election was not good enough, Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Tuesday.

The CPP won about 3.1 million votes out of 5.1 million that were cast during Sunday's balloting to choose leaders for the kingdom's commune councils, and the next winner, namely SRP, only won about 1.3 million, the national TV quoted him as saying.

"Therefore SRP can't share power in the central government," he told the 3rd Asia Economic Forum held in Phnom Penh.

"CPP still needs the Funcinpec Party in the present co-ruling government to have political and macro-economic stability," he said.

"We were also happy to work with other parties to have prosperity for our country. I am very proud of the people who still support CPP and we believe in the general election in 2008, we will still have the majority of votes," he added. .

According to the preliminary results of Sunday's local election polling, the CPP continued to control 98 percent of the kingdom's 1,621 communes and urban sub-districts known as sangkats, while the SRP surpassed Funcinpec for the first time to become the kingdom's second largest party in terms of its control of communes and sangkats.

Official results of the polling will be declared on April 24.

Altogether 102,266 candidates from 12 political parties competed for 11,353 seats in 1,621 councils in the second ever commune councils election since the Kingdom of Cambodia was established in 1993. Its results lay the groundwork for the general election in 2008, which will elect the fourth ever government of the country.

Source: Xinhua .