By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the original article in Khmer
A high-ranking official claimed that the National Assembly (NA) cannot convene a plenary session yet to lift opposition leader Sam Rainsy’s immunity during a time when the NA is in recess, and the 27 July general election is fast approaching.
Heng Samrin, NA president, gave a short interview to RFA over the phone this Wednesday, saying that there are several reasons that make the NA unable to convene a plenary session immediately.
Heng Samrin said: “There cannot be an immediate session, because the NA is currently in recess, there is no session, the election is under way. Only when there is a request for a plenary session from the prime minister or the king to lift the immunity for this to happen. If there is no request from the prime minister or the king, there cannot be any discussion because we are now in recess, and we are holding the election campaign. This issue must be decided later.”
He indicated that the NA did not receive the letter from the Phnom Penh municipal court requesting the lifting of Sam Rainsy’s immunity yet.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said in reaction to the request for lifting his immunity by the Phnom Penh municipal court that: “What they want to do with the lifting of my immunity is to arrest me. This shows that the CPP is in disarray, they are afraid of the SRP, they know that they will lose to the SRP in the upcoming election.”
On Monday, reports indicated that the Phnom Penh municipal court asked the NA to lift Sam Rainsy’s immunity to allow the court to charge him or arrest him stemming from a lawsuit by Hor Namhong, the minister of Foreign Affairs, regarding defamation and disinformation.
Dam Sith, the editor-in-chief of the Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper and also a SRP candidate for the city of Phnom Penh, was released on bail on 15 June, after Hun Sen vouched for him personally.
Dam Sith was arrested by the Phnom Penh military police, sent to the court, and charged with defamation and disinformation after his newspaper published an article in April quoting Sam Rainsy’s speech saying at the Choeung Ek Memorial, but not naming anyone in particular, that the minister of Foreign Affairs was the former Boeng Trabek jail chief under the KR regime.
Hor Namhong, the minister of Foreaign Affairs, rejected this accusation, and he sued both Dam Sith and Sam Rainsy.
Heng Samrin, NA president, gave a short interview to RFA over the phone this Wednesday, saying that there are several reasons that make the NA unable to convene a plenary session immediately.
Heng Samrin said: “There cannot be an immediate session, because the NA is currently in recess, there is no session, the election is under way. Only when there is a request for a plenary session from the prime minister or the king to lift the immunity for this to happen. If there is no request from the prime minister or the king, there cannot be any discussion because we are now in recess, and we are holding the election campaign. This issue must be decided later.”
He indicated that the NA did not receive the letter from the Phnom Penh municipal court requesting the lifting of Sam Rainsy’s immunity yet.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said in reaction to the request for lifting his immunity by the Phnom Penh municipal court that: “What they want to do with the lifting of my immunity is to arrest me. This shows that the CPP is in disarray, they are afraid of the SRP, they know that they will lose to the SRP in the upcoming election.”
On Monday, reports indicated that the Phnom Penh municipal court asked the NA to lift Sam Rainsy’s immunity to allow the court to charge him or arrest him stemming from a lawsuit by Hor Namhong, the minister of Foreign Affairs, regarding defamation and disinformation.
Dam Sith, the editor-in-chief of the Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper and also a SRP candidate for the city of Phnom Penh, was released on bail on 15 June, after Hun Sen vouched for him personally.
Dam Sith was arrested by the Phnom Penh military police, sent to the court, and charged with defamation and disinformation after his newspaper published an article in April quoting Sam Rainsy’s speech saying at the Choeung Ek Memorial, but not naming anyone in particular, that the minister of Foreign Affairs was the former Boeng Trabek jail chief under the KR regime.
Hor Namhong, the minister of Foreaign Affairs, rejected this accusation, and he sued both Dam Sith and Sam Rainsy.
12 comments:
Be careful, do not make the PM angry. He can request the Assembly for plenary session any time he want. And what he said is the law!!!!
2:15 PM,
Don't think PM would personally involve in this particular case and can't see PM wants to create unpleasant environment for this up coming election
Dr HO,Mao,Sihanouk etc<<<=>>> Kr Tral.
"Sva kress krorgness kham hatt kunn,luss khoeugn sess lunn toeup rutt puon,kok sâr kor veng arng uot khluon tha deung cham nuon treiy khnong teuk"
Hmmmmm!khmer Hey khmer ! Every news update always had problem everyday...gas, oil, goods, land dispute, low salary, thief, forest destroy.....who help khmer?
It was my sincere hope that the NA would not in recess; also, I was hoping that the NA would move forward and strip the opposition leader's, Som Rainsy, immunity before he does more damage to the country.
I am, ect.,
Kudo for Comrade Heng.Keep doing the right thing for the sake of democracy,please call Nat.Ass. into session to remove Hun Sen and cronies from power now.
Halaluyah!
The National Assembly must do better to uphold the rule of law.
If our court can worked on Sunday, so can the National Assembly.
7 17pm. You can dream to remove ah Kvack, but he got money and power.
Heng Samrin is doing the right thing, this is a personal matter.
1149pm,
I guess you must be really poor in thought and vision besides money.
Ah kwak will go the way he did to Chan Si when Hanoi did not get pay on time.
the CPP just blow a hot air, the dogs do not dare to do what they back to SRP! too much international attention!!!!
May ligtning strike the nation traitors!
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