Election Results Ratified in Cambodia, but Opposition Plans Boycott
ASSOCIATED PRESS | The New York Times / IHT | 8 Sept. 2013
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodia’s
opposition said Sunday that it would boycott the opening session of
Parliament and carry out more street protests even though the election
victory of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s party has now been officially
ratified.
Sam Rainsy, leader of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party,
told reporters that his party would not take part in any form of
government as a matter of principle until there was an independent
investigation of accusations of election irregularities.
Earlier Sunday, the government-appointed National Election Committee
ratified results giving Mr. Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party 68 seats
in the National Assembly, and the opposition party 55.
Parliament has to convene within 60 days of the July 28 election.
Mr. Sam Rainsy said the opposition would hold public demonstrations next
week, which might include rallies or marches, to press its demand for
an investigation.
Mr. Hun Sen has ruled Cambodia for 28 years and remains firmly in
control, although the opposition won significantly more seats than it
had in the past.
The opposition has claimed it would have won a majority of seats had the
election been fair, but its legal challenges were rejected. About
20,000 opposition supporters gathered Saturday in Phnom Penh, the
capital, to cheer their leaders’ demands for an investigation of what
their leaders said was vote tampering and widespread voter
disenfranchisement.
“As long as the ruling party does not accept the truth to be exposed,
and does not accept to render justice to the Cambodian people through
voting, we will not participate in any form of government or any form of
arrangement with the ruling party, because it is a matter of
principle,” Mr. Sam Rainsy said Sunday. “We’re never going to compromise
our principles.”
It was not clear how long a boycott of Parliament would last. A deputy
opposition leader, Kem Sokha, said it would apply to the opening day of
the new National Assembly, while Mr. Sam Rainsy’s remarks implied that
it would be open-ended.
After previous elections, opposition members have boycotted initial
assembly sessions and later been admitted into the body. But a boycott
could mean the opposition loses out on parliamentary leadership
positions like committee chairmanships.
While the opposition previously seemed to hope it could invalidate some
of the election results, it now may be seeking a show of strength mostly
to press Mr. Hun Sen’s party to give up some of the leadership
positions.
David Chandler, a leading Cambodia scholar, said it would be wise for
the opposition lawmakers to simply take up the 55 seats they won rather
than risk losing their say in the government.
“I can sympathize with the C.N.R.P., but I think they’re being very unrealistic in their demands for power,” he said.
8 comments:
Who the is this guy David Chandler?
David Chandler, I personally appreciate of what you needed to say about Cambodian current politic. But I think you are getting too old for this. How could you advise the opposition to accept the result of the election while you knew for the fact that the CPP lost the election.
Where and how did you draw the line?
Mr. Chandler should have said that every Cambodian should just vote for the cpp at every election to guarantee that we always have stability and, that the opposition (millions who voted against the dictator) will be "wiser." What is that going to achieve? We have seen it repeated for the last 28 years already.
David Chandler might be right, but if the Criminal CPP still in power or do not step down, even any total seats below Criminal CPP is like no seat, and Cambodian peoples still suffering. Criminal CPP doesn't treat any Party fairly like their own Party, unlike in America which alway has balance of power. In Cambodia, the govt control the court system, so the balance of power is not exist in Cambodia. Mr Chandler should do more research before making his remarks.
So, in this case, it's not about the seats, it's about the way Crimnal CPP running the country and I think Mr Chandler should know better. Unless he's Ah Chhkae Yuon, just like Ah Hun Sen.
យើងដឹងហើយថា គជប=ក្រុមប្រឹក្សាធម្មនុញ្ញ=ក្រុមចោរតែ១=ជាកូនចៅមហាចោរភ្នែកទោលប្រចាំសតវត្សទី២១ នៅលើពិភពលោកយើងនេះ=CPP កញ្ជះយួនហាណូយ រាប់លានតំណរហូតតទៅ។
ជូនពរ អោយអាទេព នីថា,អាអឹម សួស្តីនិងសហការីទាំងអស់ពីលើដល់ក្រោម និងអា ឋក សំអុលនិងសហការី ជួបគ្រោះថ្នាក់និងងាប់តៃហោងឆាប់ៗទៅ កុំបីខានឡើយ!
Don't get caught up with DC comments guy, focus on building objective evident for ICC. In a case of investigating criminal activities, you must allow the crime to go on, even if it's too obvious. However, the question we must ask ourselves is, is the evidents are clear enough to convict the criminals? Remember, it the international communities standard not just Khmer people alone. Why do you think the CNRP push for investigation? And why do you think CPP is not allowing the investigation to continue? In either cases, Mr. HS will faces the ICC in his life time. Sad isn't? A father's greed ruin their children future. With that in mind, let's continue collecting more evidents, should we?
Mr. David Chandler,
Does the US election do the same thing if the incumbent democratic party lost and the republican party win? the incumbent steal and rig the votes and declare they're the winner. Does the US supreme court let them do what they want? If not, Don't expect the opposition CNRP accepts the cheating result by CPP, Hun Sen.
You need to go back and take politic 101.
ខ្មែរមានជីវភាពនយោបាយ ស្ថិតក្នុងសភាព ត្រូវតែបន្តររួបរួមគ្នា បង្ហាញស្នាដៃរ ក្នុងការទាមទារកយុត្តិធ៌មឲ្យខ្លួនឯង ឲ្យពិភពលោកឃើញ! សូមបញ្ជាក់ថា បើត្រូវការឲ្យអន្ដរជាតិជួយ មិនត្រូវ ប្ដូរជំហររបស់ខ្លួនជាដាច់ខាត!
ធ្វើអ្វីៗដើម្បីជាតិមិនមែនស្រួលដូចបកចេកទេ! សូមកុំធ្វើអ្វីដូចបរទេសធ្លាប់ដៀលយើងថា៖
"ខ្មែរធ្វើអ្វីឆេះតែមួយឆាវដូចភ្លើងចម្បើង រួចរលត់បាត់យើងចាំតែទទួលផលទៅ"
យើងមិននិយាយ តម្រង់លើបុគ្គលណាទេ! គឺយើងតម្រង់ទាមទា៖
យកអ្វីជារបស់ខ្មែរ!
ខ្មែរត្រូវរស់សមជាមនុស្សក្នុងប្រទេស មានលទ្ធិប្រជាធិប្បតេយ្យពិតប្រាកដ!
មាន រដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញ ត្រូវបដិបត្តិ!
បញ្ឈប់ ការហូរចូលនឹងផ្ទុក ជនបរទេសខុសច្បាប់ អោយជិះជាន់ខ្មែរ!
ខ្មែរត្រូវរស់ជាប្រជាជាតិមួយ ដែលមាន សុវឌ្ឍិកម្មនឹងសុវត្ថិភាព ក្នុងបច្ចុប្បន្ននឹងអនាគត របស់ខ្លួន!
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