CPP winds up annual meeting

Photo by: Uy Nou Sereimony
Cambodian People’s Party President Chea Sim (left) and Prime Minister Hun Sen open the party’s 35th annual Central Committee congress, which concluded yesterday.

via Khmer NZ

Friday, 23 July 2010 15:02 Vong Sokheng

THE ruling Cambodian People’s Party concluded its 35th annual Central Committee congress at its Phnom Penh headquarters yesterday, with Prime Minister Hun Sen warning that he would offer no protection to any party members found to be breaking the law.

Cheam Yeap, a senior CPP lawmaker, said that at the close of the meeting, the premier gave a 90-minute speech in which he recommended that party officials stay away from illegal activities.

“Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen has released an order to all police, soldiers and civil servants of the CPP to get away from illegal activity, and the premier will not take responsibility for any wrong behaviour of individual officials if they face legal action in the courts,” he said yesterday.

Cheap Yeap said the premier had specifically warned party members against engaging in illegal logging, land grabbing and illegal mining – issues that have attracted opposition criticism in the past.

Hun Sen also called on the armed forces to protect the country’s territorial sovereignty while respecting the sovereignty of neighbouring countries.

Government spokesman and Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith said the meeting also addressed economic issues.

“The congress has approved for the party to continue controlling macroeconomic [policy] to have sustainability and encourage control over the growing market,” he said.

At the close of the meeting, the central committee announced its support for Hun Sen as its prime ministerial candidate at the 2013 national election.