Cambodia's FUNCINPEC Ministers Absent from Cabinet Meeting

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, August 15, 2003

Cambodia's FUNCINPEC Ministers Absent from Cabinet Meeting

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The cabinet ministers of the royalist FUNCINPEC party, the junior partner of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) in the current government, have not showed up at Friday's Council of Ministers meeting, the first one held since the July 27 national election.

The nine FUNCINPEC ministers in the 26-member Cabinet did not attend the meeting. They either asked for leave or, instead, sent their secretary of states. Among them include Deputy Prime Minster Tol Lah, Co-Minister of Defense Prince Sisowath Sirirath, Minister of Information Lu Laysreng and Health Minister Hong Sunhuot.

The weekly meeting was canceled for twice after the election. Some FUNCINPEC members said following the election that they would boycott Friday's meeting.

Earlier, incumbent Prime Minister Hun Sen urged all ministers to attend it, or he would order the seizure of government belongings and postpone the salaries of any non-CPP officials who were absent from the meeting.

Hun Sen said at the meeting that they (the FUNCINPEC ministers) did not attend the meeting by themselves, but they had sent their representatives. He added that the current government has been in a good working order since the election, ensured the social stability and peace.

According to law, a new National Assembly must convene within 60 days of the election, but there is no deadline for a new government to take office. So, Hun Sen stressed the current government could keep its function until the new government is established.

The ruling CPP won the majority of the polls, expected to win 73 seats out of the 123 National Assembly, but it still falls short of the two-thirds majority, or 82 seats, required to form a new government by its own.

The FUNCINPEC and the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) won the remaining 50 seats, and rejected the results of the election. They vowed to form a tripartite government and not to join the coalition government unless Hun Sen resigns as prime minister.

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