A long- standing rift between two key members of the Buddhist Liberal Democratic
Party (BLDP) - Son Sann and Ieng Mouly - appears to have been revived by a
dispute over how many of the party's supporters can get jobs in the
government.
On Dec. 22 last year, the BLDP submitted to the government two proposed lists
of people-one with 10,766 names on it and the other 5,480-to be given civil
service jobs.
The lists were provided in line with the Paris Peace Accords, which allows
for political parties to be proportionately represented in the civil
service.
The first, larger list was made on behalf of the BLDP-registered during the
UNTAC period-and the second on behalf of its predecessor, the Khmer People's
National Liberation Front (KPNLF).
The fist list was apparently supported
Son Sann, the BLDP president, and the second by the party's vice-president and
KPNLF general-secretary high-profile Minister of Information Ieng
Mouly.
Son Sann's supporters responded angrily when only the second list
was accepted by the Council of Ministers who accused Mouly of making a secret
arrangement to have it approved for his "own future interests".
Mouly
confirmed to the Post he had intervened by assuring the Council of Ministers
that number of people on the smaller list was representative of KPNLF's
administration before the peace accords.
"I know the real numbers because
I was the one who held this job since the beginning [of KPNLF].
"I have
not thought that I should please His Excellency Son Sann or not.
"But it
is my objective not to let those who struggled along with us for more than 10
years be frustrated," he said, in reference to all the people on the second list
having been KPNLF supporters before the peace process.
He said both
lists-one of BLDP members and the other original KPNLF workers-had been prepared
by the BLDP cabinet. He said he was aware that Son Sann would have preferred the
first list be accepted.
Son Sann, who could not be reached for comment,
is understood to have urged both lists be withdrawn for re-examination.
A
BLDP official, who requested anonymity, said that Mouly was distancing himself
from the party to gather support for his political future.
"His name is
still here, but not his mind and his body," said the official.
Mouly has
privately discussed the possibility of leaving the party before the next
elections, some sources say.
His differences with Son Sann date back to
the peace process, when he had to fight to retain his seat on the Supreme
National Council in the face of opposition from Son Sann.
Mouly told the
Post the rift between the two men was historic and "since then, nothing can weld
it".
"My ministerial position was not proposed by Son Sann. He would
appoint his man, wouldn't he?" he said.
Another BLDP official, a Member
of Parliament, saw the tension between the two men as a threat to the party's
future.
"We are very concerned and we want this rift to be healed," he
said.
