Phnom Penh (FN), March 29 - After the meeting between Ministry of Interior (MoI)'s representatives and Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) on Wednesday afternoon, MoI claimed that CNRP's extraordinary congress to select new leaders and its slogan for political campaign were illegal, while CNRP members would take the matter to discuss with its leaders.

 Eng Chhay Eang, CNRP's senior official said "MoI's representative Prak Sam Oeun said our extraordinary congress was legitimate and the amendment of our political party's law were fine, but the elected leadership and slogan were not legal."

According to Prak Sam Oeun, the Ministry still does not recognize the new president and vice presidents of the CNRP, and urged that CNRP should change its political slogans, otherwise, would face with the laws.

CNRP held the congress on March 2, 2017 to elect Kem Sokha as the new president.

Pol Ham, Mu Sochua, and Eng Chhay Eang have been elected as the three Vice Presidents of the party.

On March 22, 2017, MoI announced the illegality of the CNRP's presidential election, as it violated its own political party's criteria.

The article 47 of Criteria of Political Party stipulated that the the absence of former leader must be at least 18 months for CNRP to select a new president. The CRNP filled the positions in less than two months. Therefore, the elections of Kem Sokha as the new CNRP president and the other three vice presidents were illegal.

The article 47 added that if the absence of the party's leader is less than 18 months, the Vice President must become acting president of the party and that the party must appoint another Vice President within 30 days to assist the acting president.

CNRP will further discuss the issue with party's head, according to Eng Chhay Eang.

MoI, meanwhile, also requested CNRP to change its slogan from "Replace commune leaders serving the ruling party with commune leaders serving people”, as it is in conflict with the 1993 Constitution, Political Parties Law, the Law on the Elections of Commune Councils, and the Law on Administration Management of Commune, Pluralist Liberal Democracy of Cambodia, and the principles of proportional representation election.

Eng Chhay Eang, meanwhile, denied that the slogan was not put in the CNRP's political campaign.
=FRESH NEWS