Mao Monyvann, a Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian representing Kampong Cham province, said yesterday that he was resigning his post, as the opposition party evaluates a reshuffle of constituencies aimed at shoring up support ahead of the 2013 national elections.

The reshuffle was announced earlier this year and will see party members who stood as candidates in the 2008 elections replace some current parliamentarians.

Mao Monyvann said his decision to resign was motivated by personal reasons and a promise he made to his supporters that he would leave his post if he failed to increase support for the party in other provinces.

“Before the [last] election, I said in front of my supporters that if seats in some provinces do not increase, we must give those seats to other colleagues,” he said.

Mao Monyvann had been set to move to Takeo province in the reshuffle. He will be replaced by Kuoy Bunroeun, currently an SRP lawmaker in Takeo.

SRP spokesman Yim Sovann said the resignation was purely a personal matter and not the result of party pressure.