Cambodia opposition party to boycott 1st parliament session, threatening mass protests

CNRP would win 63 parliamentary seats to CPP 60 if an independent fact-finding committee established. 

English.news.cn   2013-08-15

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) reiterated Thursday that it would boycott the first parliamentary session and call for mass protests if an independent poll probe committee is still not established.

"The party will not attend the first parliamentary session if an independent committee is not set up to look into alleged poll irregularities,"Kem Sokha, CNRP's vice-president, told hundreds of supporters at the party's headquarters."We will appeal to the international community not to recognize the government that will form from one party only."

He said the party would call mass protests against the upcoming new parliament and government. "Mass demonstrations will be our last resort, but we will appeal to all protestors to stage demonstrations peacefully,"he said."We have to protect the votes of the people."

Cambodia held a general election on July 28. The National Election Committee (NEC)'s initial official results showed that the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen won 3,235,969 votes and the CNRP of longtime opposition leader Sam Rainsy received 2,946,176 votes.

The CPP calculated that with its 3,235,969 votes, it won 68 of the 123 parliamentary seats, while the CNRP, with its 2,946,176 votes, pocketed the remaining 55 seats.

But the CNRP rejected the results, claiming that its party should win 63 seats, with the CPP getting the remaining 60 seats if an independent committee is formed to investigate poll irregularities.

Tep Nytha, NEC's secretary general, said Wednesday that there was no need to talk about the joint poll probe committee as the initial results had already been released. "No more negotiation for the joint committee as the temporary results were released,"he told Xinhua, adding that the final poll results would be issued on Sept. 8.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Aug. 2 that the new parliament and government would be established as scheduled even though the opposition boycotted the first parliamentary session. "According to the constitution, a new government will be formed by a 50 percent plus one majority, or 63 lawmakers, in the new National Assembly,"he said. "I will be the prime minister for the new five-year mandate government."

A new parliament will be established no later than 60 days after the election, according to the constitution.

Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng said last Friday that soldiers and armored vehicles had been deployed on the outskirts of capital Phnom Penh to ensure security and stability after the opposition repeatedly threatened mass demonstrations.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said Thursday that he would return to Phnom Penh on Friday after spending 10 days in the United States for his daughter's wedding. "I have the pleasure to inform our fellow compatriots that I will be back in Phnom Penh on Friday, Aug. 16," he wrote on his Facebook page. "I will immediately take part in the effort on the spot to find a peaceful solution to the political crisis arising from unprecedented and unacceptable irregularities in the July 28 elections."

Editor: Mengjie