The Funcinpec Party had gained more than 150 members in Takeo province last month, including district and provincial leaders of other parties, its spokesman, Tom Sambol, said yesterday. Most of those who had joined the party in Takeo were returning to it after defecting, he said. Chan Vuthy, the party’s president in Takeo, said 157 members from three other parties – the Sam Rainsy Party, the Human Rights Party and Norodom Ranariddh Party – had joined Funcinpec. Both the NRP and SRP national spokesmen said Funcinpec was inflating the number of people who had joined its ranks in Takeo.