Sam Rainsy speaks to members of his political party in Phnom Penh via live video link yesterday.

Sam  has been re-elected as president of his eponymous party, despite the fact that he will not be able to contest the next election in Cambodia as he remains in self-imposed exile.

Speaking from Austria by video to about 5,000 party members at the former SRP headquarters yesterday, he thanked them for re-electing him and vowed to loyally serve the party’s 500,000 members until the day he dies.

“I will serve my people, I will serve my country to the end of my life. You love me and support me, but I know that you do not love Sam Rainsy the individual but love Sam Rainsy’s ideals,” he said.

Sam Rainsy said that if the SRP won the 2013 election and he became prime minister he would remove all land concession and return people’s property, much of which had been leased to foreign private companies by the government.

CPP lawmaker Chheang Von said Sam Rainsy’s promise to remove all land concession was impossible. The SRP also elected Kong Korm as deputy president, Hong Sok Hour as general financier, Ho Vann as accounting commissioner and Ke Sovannroth as secretary general.