Phnom Penh (FN), Dec. 3 - Muth Chantha, former Kem Sokha's cabinet chief, stated that appointing Sam Rainsy as Acting President of the dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) at the Atlanta’s Conference contradicted CNRP’s by-laws deposited at the Ministry of Interior.

Chantha clarified that: (a) according to by-laws, the participants at the conference do not have rights to appoint the party’s Acting President; (b) Acting President can only be appointed when the President is absent; in such case, the most senior Vice President shall be appointed as Acting President (Article 45-new of the by-laws); to be Acting President, he or she shall be Vice President first; (c) the decision made at the Conference is only a group opinion and that it could not force the Standing Committee to review and respond.

Chantha’s statement and clarification were made in response to appointment of Sam Rainsy as Acting President of the dissolved CNRP at the Atlanta Conference held on 1-2 December, while Kem Sokha, the current President, was still under Cambodia’s judicial control.
=FRESH NEWS