Group of Cambodian Funcinpec leaders defects to CPP

January 08, 2008

With little more than six months to Cambodia's next national election, several senior party leaders of the already ailing Funcinpec Party has defected to the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), including two ministers, local media reported Tuesday.

Rural Development Minister and Funcinpec First Deputy President Lu Laysreng said Monday that Minister of Women's Affairs Ing Kantha Phavi defected to the CPP last week, the Cambodia Daily newspaper said.

She joins Funcinpec's Minister of Cults and Religion Khun Haing, who had defected earlier and has since appeared on television to campaign for the CPP, the daily said.

Finance Ministry Secretary of State Chea Peng Chheang had also left for the CPP, along with his wife, Funcinpec Senator Khloth Tongphka, Lu Laysreng was quoted as saying.

Chea Peng Chheang confirmed by telephone Monday that he had joined the CPP because of his lack of confidence in Funcinpec's leadership, the newspaper said.

Secretary of State Mao Havanall, the top official at the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, also confirmed Monday that he had abandoned Funcinpec for the CPP, it said.

In last April's Commune elections, the Funcinpec was hit hard at the ballot box, losing more than 85 percent of the commune councils seats it held nationwide.

Source: Xinhua