The ruling Cambodian People’s Party has denied involvement in blocking opposition leader Sam Rainsy from visiting a pagoda in Oddar Meanchey province on Wednesday.

CPP spokesman Sous Yara sent a letter to the Post saying that the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party has only itself to blame for its public relations problem.

“So please, CNRP, find a solution to your local internal power [struggle] by yourselves and respond to the people’s concerns [about your party],” said Yara.

Ken Kosal, a former CNRP councillor who defected to the CPP in June, blocked Rainsy from entering a pagoda in Samroang town with a crowd of 350 people and 27 homemade tractors.

He has previously said that no one ordered him to hold the rally and that he did it because Sam Rainsy failed to follow through on his promise to help the people of Oddar Meanchey.

CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann, along with Bun Kim Heng, the opposition party’s councillor of Oddar Meanchey, said yesterday that Chhim Toeu, the director of the provincial culture and religion department in the province, was involved in the effort to block Rainsy.

The blockers were “not ordinary people,” Sovann said.

“You cannot use your power as a government official to block a pagoda,” he said. “I don’t accuse anybody, but this is a political game created by rivals of the CNRP.”

Toeu declined to comment yesterday.