Phnom Penh (dpa) - The Cambodian National Assembly will vote to reinstate the parliamentary immunity of three opposition figures before the end of the month, the head of the National Assembly, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, told reporters Tuesday.
The decision, due on February 28, according to the prince, makes Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) president Sam Rainsy and his colleagues Cheam Channy and Chea Poch once again immune to prosecution, drawing to a close a turbulent and controversial year in the nation's politics.
"On February 28 the National Assembly will have a meeting and give immunity back to (them)," Prince Ranariddh told reporters outside the National Assembly.
He said the SRP may also be awarded a government commission to chair. Government commissions are currently divided between only the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and Ranariddh's royalist Funcinpec party, which is the junior coalition partner in the government.
The about-turn comes in a week when Channy was pardoned by the king on the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen after being stripped of his immunity a year ago and jailed on charges of organizing an armed force. He had claimed innocence, saying he was merely heading up a shadow defence cabinet.
Rainsy and Poch were also stripped of their immunity last February and Rainsy was later sentenced to 18 months jail in absentia on defamation charges. That sentence now appears to have been dropped after he publicly apologized to Hun Sen and Rainsy sources say he is scheduled to return home as early as this Thursday.
On Monday Hun Sen said he was not a dictator in a speech broadcast on national radio and he needed an opposition as commune elections loom for 2007 and national elections for 2008.
Hun Sen's CPP is expected to dominate both those elections in the same way it dominated the senate elections in January and analysts predict the party will be able to rule in its own right and control both the upper and lower houses after the 2008 elections.
The decision, due on February 28, according to the prince, makes Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) president Sam Rainsy and his colleagues Cheam Channy and Chea Poch once again immune to prosecution, drawing to a close a turbulent and controversial year in the nation's politics.
"On February 28 the National Assembly will have a meeting and give immunity back to (them)," Prince Ranariddh told reporters outside the National Assembly.
He said the SRP may also be awarded a government commission to chair. Government commissions are currently divided between only the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and Ranariddh's royalist Funcinpec party, which is the junior coalition partner in the government.
The about-turn comes in a week when Channy was pardoned by the king on the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen after being stripped of his immunity a year ago and jailed on charges of organizing an armed force. He had claimed innocence, saying he was merely heading up a shadow defence cabinet.
Rainsy and Poch were also stripped of their immunity last February and Rainsy was later sentenced to 18 months jail in absentia on defamation charges. That sentence now appears to have been dropped after he publicly apologized to Hun Sen and Rainsy sources say he is scheduled to return home as early as this Thursday.
On Monday Hun Sen said he was not a dictator in a speech broadcast on national radio and he needed an opposition as commune elections loom for 2007 and national elections for 2008.
Hun Sen's CPP is expected to dominate both those elections in the same way it dominated the senate elections in January and analysts predict the party will be able to rule in its own right and control both the upper and lower houses after the 2008 elections.
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