PHNOM PENH (AFP)--The king of Cambodia opened the newly elected parliament Wednesday, paving the way for Prime Minister Hun Sen to extend his 23-year grip on power.
During the opening ceremony, King Norodom Sihamoni hailed the session as a "new opportunity" for lawmakers to work for the development of the Southeast Asian nation, urging them to build "social justice."
Members of parliament were due to be sworn in at the royal palace later in the day, and parliament was scheduled to formally elect its president and Hun Sen's new government Thursday.
"This is a symbol that we will continue the development of the country for five years more," Hun Sen told reporters after the session.
"From now on, I will not allow the small-voice parties to hold the majority-voice party as hostage," he added.
His ruling Cambodian People's Party took 90 seats of the 123 up for grabs in the July 27 ballot, while the main opposition Sam Rainsy Party, or SRP, received 26 seats.
But the SRP and Human Rights Party, or HRP, which won 3 seats, have disputed the results and said Hun Sen's party got its crushing majority after thousands of people were intentionally left off voter lists.
Both parties had threatened to boycott the first session of the parliament, but SRP decided at the last minute earlier Wednesday to attend the meeting after negotiations between its leader, Sam Rainsy, and Hun Sen.
The HRP's members of parliament didn't attend the opening session.
After the previous general election, in July 2003, the kingdom was plunged into a year of political stalemate as parties wrangled over forming a coalition government.
Hun Sen has been accused of suppressing human rights to secure power, but a booming economy has bolstered his standing in a country struggling to lift itself from the ranks of the world's poorest nations.
During the opening ceremony, King Norodom Sihamoni hailed the session as a "new opportunity" for lawmakers to work for the development of the Southeast Asian nation, urging them to build "social justice."
Members of parliament were due to be sworn in at the royal palace later in the day, and parliament was scheduled to formally elect its president and Hun Sen's new government Thursday.
"This is a symbol that we will continue the development of the country for five years more," Hun Sen told reporters after the session.
"From now on, I will not allow the small-voice parties to hold the majority-voice party as hostage," he added.
His ruling Cambodian People's Party took 90 seats of the 123 up for grabs in the July 27 ballot, while the main opposition Sam Rainsy Party, or SRP, received 26 seats.
But the SRP and Human Rights Party, or HRP, which won 3 seats, have disputed the results and said Hun Sen's party got its crushing majority after thousands of people were intentionally left off voter lists.
Both parties had threatened to boycott the first session of the parliament, but SRP decided at the last minute earlier Wednesday to attend the meeting after negotiations between its leader, Sam Rainsy, and Hun Sen.
The HRP's members of parliament didn't attend the opening session.
After the previous general election, in July 2003, the kingdom was plunged into a year of political stalemate as parties wrangled over forming a coalition government.
Hun Sen has been accused of suppressing human rights to secure power, but a booming economy has bolstered his standing in a country struggling to lift itself from the ranks of the world's poorest nations.
21 comments:
Animal Hun Sen stole the votes every times.
Good to see that PM Hun Sen finally gets to kick start the Real Khmer Democracy.
Jey Yoh Hun Sen!
50 more years!
50 more years!
50 more years!
50 more years!
50 more years!
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.
.
All leaders of Cambodia are bad. And only some are less bad than the others.
There are only THREE (3) Rankings for them (1) Less BAD (2) Bad and (3) The WORST.
Most of them got the power from the barrels of guns. Their hands are smeared with bloods.
They are de facto leaders and have ruled Cambodia with little educational backgrounds.
Cambodia have so far gone to uncertain directions, and most of the time backward.
So sad thinking about Cambodia.
Thailand gets all the good leaders.
Black Cat
7:54 AM
In 50 years Hun Sen will be just dry piece of shit in the field.
7:31 AM
That was funny.
Good one dude. LOL.
Well, we tried to persuade the Khmer Rouge to let go of our people from slavery, but it doesn't work. Only guns and bullets will do the trick. So what do you expect?
Thanks 9:03 and 9:23 am sorry to mention this ,but all of your comment are 120%correct ,but I remember one thing that our old had said Ah pleu tov meu Ah Chkout.So this words are damn right a whole country way behind it neighboring countries,and back to the says from the king to pm and whole congress are pleu and chkout so Cambodian ppl still live in the miserable live till the day and the pleu and the chkout pass away(dead)for how long?10,20,100Yrs more? NO MORE KHMER.
SRP is playing around with dirty politics. SRP is worst!! No one will vote for this party again.
Just wounder whether Eng Chay Eng is getting 1 million USD for his gamble?????
Samrainsy, your roots are out of the stone.
9:33 AM
Agree. It's impossible to root out the CPP out of corruption, rooted deep in pure corruption.
Do you think supporting one dictator to be a true king for 29+10 years is the right thing for Cambodia?
Why Cambodians changed five regimes since 1970? Changes is the solution for stability and peace.
Don't try to mock on the losers too much. Nothing lasts forever as the buddha said about "ANATA".
Don't forget that CPP can cheat young voters about Anti-Thai sentiment this time.
But not again in 2013.
Also, Kith Meng is the future Thaksin and therefore, Hun Sen will kill him one day. And Kith Meng will know in advance and so we will make pre-emptive strike against Hun Sen.
Remember young students are often chatting and showing mobile phone during Hun Sen's speeches at universities.
I have network with more than 10 universities. I am very sure.
Do you think supporting one dictator to be a king for 29+10 years is the right thing for Cambodia?
Why Cambodians changed five regimes since 1970? Changes is the solution for stability and peace.
Don't try to mock on the loser too much. Nothing is last forever as the buddha said about "Anata".
Don't forget that CPP can cheat young voters about Anti-Thai sentiment this time.
But not again in 2013.
Also, Kith Meng is the future Thaksin and therefore, Hun Sen will kill him one day. And Kith Meng will know in advance and so he will use pre-emptive strike in return.
Remember young students are often chatting and showing mobile phone during Hun Sen's speeches at universities.
I have network with more than 10 universities. I am very sure.
I am happy to see my savior (PM Hun Sen) continues to lead Cambodia in the right direction. He's the true leader. He's the one who saved all Khmer. No one cares for Khmer more than he does. They are all fakes.
Long live PM HUN SEN!!!!
All You SRP Lover!!! Will Thanks Hun Sen One day...
Yeah, but they are idiots. How can they?
Hun Sen can't live another 50 years anyway.
Look at Suharto of Indonesia, he wanted to rule Indonesia the rest of his life but failed and charged with corruption, murdered and took all his assets put them back to state's treasure.
Hun Sen will doom one day!!
Khmer PP,
Yeah, but Hun Sen's asset came from hard works, not from the State. We all know the State doesn't pay shit for someone to get rich.
for those of us who didn't know, it is called the next 5-year mandate because national election takes place every five years; so it is a tradition to have the swear in celebration. please get educated about the cambodian system of gov't, before you opened your foul-mouth. thank you.
ome people thought that absolute victory of CPP will bring stability.
Unfortunately! after the defeat of all gentle and harmless opponents, it is the time that CPP's Hun Sen fight against CPP's Chea Sim and Sar Kheng. and Kith Meng's group fight against Mong Reththy Group.
Even though Chea Sim is old, but thousand of his supporters are as young as 30 years old, would not let Hun Sen dynasty to rule for more than 29+10.
The internal fight among CPP is the most frighting scenario in Cambodia because all sides have weapons and aggressive. They are speechless but violent.
After Lon Nol and royalist supporters were destroyed, Khmer Rouge fought each other, remember?
Some people thought that absolute victory of CPP will bring stability.
Unfortunately! after the defeat of all gentle and harmless opponents, it is the time that CPP's Hun Sen fight against CPP's Chea Sim and Sar Kheng. and Kith Meng's group fight against Mong Reththy Group.
Even though Chea Sim is old, but thousand of his supporters are as young as 30 years old, would not let Hun Sen dynasty to rule for more than 29+10.
The internal fight among CPP is the most frighting scenario in Cambodia because all sides have weapons and aggressive. They are speechless but violent.
After Lon Nol and royalist supporters were destroyed, Khmer Rouge fought each other, remember?
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