The 41st Congress of the Central Committee of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), headed by its president and Prime Minister Hun Sen has laid out key policies and far-reaching reforms across all sectors in order to win provincial, municipal, district and national elections, party spokesman Sok Eysan said on Wednesday.
His remarks came after some critics of the Congress claimed it would promote relatives of the party leadership to consolidate power.
The CPP’s Central Committee Congress, attended by nearly 3,150 party members, convened on Tuesday at Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center and is set to run over three days, ending on Thursday.
The meeting outlined its aims to discuss in depth and report on the CPP’s achievements in 2018, set goals for next year, and elect new members to top party committees.
A new chair of the Central Committee’s Monitoring Committee will be elected after Ney Pena, who was also first vice president of the Senate, passed away on September 29.
CPP spokesman Sok Eysan on Wednesday said the Congress has set key goals and outlined deep reforms across all sectors in order to win all future elections, including the next national polls.
He said the CPP is firmly in power and without fear, contrary to opposition accusations. He said it was the opposition instead that was fearful, a movement that always lost and fled the Kingdom.
“We’ve held congress 40 times, and won 40 times. And the new government has been doing its work with great responsibility to lead the country so far, and the [CPP] does not fear."
“[It is the opposition] that always loses and flees the country. You need to be ashamed of yourself by speaking [this way],” he said.
A provincial governor who is attending the congress but asked to remain anonymous said it discussed many challenges to be overcome in providing good governance for the people.
The party leadership has instructed all members to work extra hard to serve the people who voted for it, he said, while any official who causes difficulties for the people will be at risk of losing their jobs.
The CPP, he said, will continue to implement government policies that have been laid out.
“Bad officials and officials who do not serve the people faithfully will face trouble,” he stressed.
The anonymous governor said the election for new members of the Permanent and Monitoring Committees will take place on Thursday.
Analyst Meas Nee said the CPP will set out to work harder to increase its popularity after the Cambodia National Rescue Party was dissolved by the Supreme Court.
The ruling party will use its entire means to resist the opposition party and international pressure, he said.
“It depends on whether the laid out reforms and the principles are effective or not, and if the reforms and principles are the same as in the last [term of government], it will be ineffective,” Meas Nee said.
