A ruling Cambodian People's Party's (CPP) high ranking official Monday says that the plan to form a nationalist alliance between opposition Sam Rainsy party (SRP) and Prince Norodom Ranariddh's royalist FUNCINPEC party might make the CPP concerned in the 2008 national election.
The concerns occur after Prince Ranaraddh has a plan to invite SRP to join his party in forming a nationalist alliance to compete with the CPP in the national election.
National Assembly's president and honorary CPP's president Heng Samrin told reporters at the Assembly that this alliance's goal is to show unification against the CPP, but this alliance cannot win over the CPP, and that the CPP still wants to make the FUNCINPEC its alliance.
He says that the alliance likes to go around and sling muds at other party's members, but that the CPP will get the people to support it.
SRP's president Sam Rainsy says that he does not object to the formation of a nationalist alliance, and will consider its feasibility leaving the two parties' representatives the opportunity to find a formula to avoid past consequences.
Rainsy says that, with past experiences, he knows some politicians' practices, those who betray their own promises. He says that some politicians acknowledged their mistakes, and benefited from their cooperation.
Prince Ranariddh's adviser Ok Socheat says that the "50+1" formula is dangerous, because one party can control the country.
Cambodia Center for Human Rights' (CCHR) director Kem Sokha says that he is not surprised, and that he is not sure whether or not the alliance will benefit the country.
Mr. Kem says that if this alliance were to be formed for an individual's power, and not for the human rights or democracy, then it is useless.
He says that it all depends on the two leaders.