FIVE members of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party rejected an invitation from Sen Sok district officials to attend an urban planning seminar yesterday because it was held at an office belonging to the Cambodian People’s Party.

In a statement issued yesterday, SRP councillors from Sen Sok district said they were “surprised” when they received an invitation to attend a seminar at the CPP office in Sen Sok district’s Khmounh commune. The meeting related to Phnom Penh Municipality’s master development plan.

“We have a lot of regret that the district governor and district council chief denied a change in location,” the party stated.

The statement said the seminar was “for the development of the CPP” rather than that of the capital, and criticised City Hall over its choice of venue.

Phnom Penh governor Kep Chuktema could not be reached for comment yesterday, but Sen Sok district governor Khuong Sreng said the location was picked because the district did not have a suitable facility for holding such a meeting.

“We did not want to take the CPP office to hold the seminar, but we did not think of politics,” he said.

He added that an alternate location could have been used, but that SRP members had failed to identify one.