CNRP ‘nepotism’ letter leaked online by Seiha

Prince Sisowath Thomico (center) attends a Cambodia National Rescue Party press conference at the party’s head quarters in Phnom Penh last year. Hong Menea

CNRP ‘nepotism’ letter leaked online by Seiha

 The Phnom Penh Post | 27 March 2017

A Facebook user behind a slew of leaks seemingly aimed at damaging the opposition has released more material, publishing a letter from a senior CNRP official requesting that the party dissolve its executive committee in Preah Sihanouk province because of “nepotism”. 

The user, Seiha, who has leaked online a raft of covertly recorded phone conversations featuring opposition figures, posted over the weekend a request from Cambodia National Rescue Party official Prince Sisowath Thomico sent to party leader Kem Sokha on March 11.

In the letter, Thomico, who is head of the party’s working group in Sihanoukville, explains that during his absence provincial officials had revised the makeup of the lower level district committees.

He wrote that the reshuffle had “created chaos and discouraged local activists”, and the provincial CNRP officials displayed “strong nepotism”. He proceeded to ask the party’s disciplinary committee to supervise a vote on whether to disband and re-establish the branch.

Reached yesterday, Thomico declined to go into details of the “internal and very local issue”, though he said a vote on the matter was yet to take place.

He called the leak “troubling”, but said its aim to “undermine the credibility of the CNRP as a united party” had failed. 

Sok Sovath, the CNRP executive committee chief in Sihanoukville, said Thomico had the “right to make the request”, but rejected claims of nepotism and said the prince should not interfere with the body’s tasks.