ABOUT 100 vendors facing eviction from their stalls near Olympic Stadium protested yesterday in front of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Phnom Penh villa and delivered a petition demanding that they be allowed to keep their businesses open during construction of a new proposed development in the area.

“We will not object to any development since this is public property, but we suggest that when the construction begins, the vendors should be allowed some pavement outside the stadium to continue our business until the construction is complete,” said Seng Soknan, a 34-year-old shoe seller.

Vath Chamreoun, secretary general of the National Olympic Committee, said vendors on the north and east sides of the stadium would be cleared out to make way for committee offices.

The vendors received a notice on October 4 stating that the eviction would take place in 15 days, after an earlier eviction order expired without being enforced.

Koeut Chhe, deputy chief of the municipal cabinet, said he did not know what City Hall would decide with respect to the proposed delay.

Kong Chamroeun, a representative of Hun Sen’s cabinet, said the petition would be given to the appropriate officials.