PHNOM PENH, Sept 23 — Cambodia’s parliament is set to convene today despite a boycott by the opposition, which is demanding an independent probe into disputed elections that led to mass protests and violence.
The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) insisted the meeting — the first since the July polls won by strongman Hun Sen — would go ahead regardless of the political deadlock in the country.
“This is an absolute position of the CPP, which has won the election,” a senior CPP member told AFP, adding that Hun Sen is likely to be sworn in for another five-year term tomorrow.
According to official results of the July election, the CPP won 68 seats against 55 for the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) but the opposition has rejected the tally, alleging widespread vote irregularities.
Dissatisfaction with the election saw three days of demonstrations earlier this month, which descended into violence when a protester was shot dead as security forces clashed with a stone-throwing crowd.
Security has been stepped up around official buildings in recent days, with anti-riot police and barbed wire deployed along roads near parliament in the capital Phnom Penh.
Hun Sen, who suffered his worst poll result in 15 years, agreed to find a peaceful solution to the dispute in talks with rival Sam Rainsy but he has rejected opposition CNRP calls for an independent probe.
The opposition said all of its MPs took an oath on Saturday that they would not attend the parliament.
“As long as a resolution is not found, we will not attend the meeting of the parliament. We will boycott the meeting,” said CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann.
The crisis took a new twist on Friday when a pro-opposition Cambodian prince — the cousin of King Norodom Sihamoni — went on hunger strike in protest at Hun Sen’s contested win, demanding “justice for voters”.
His protest ended Saturday after military police expelled him from the pagoda where he was holding the hunger strike.
Hun Sen, 61, a former Khmer Rouge cadre who defected and oversaw Cambodia’s rise from the ashes of war, has already ruled for nearly three decades but has vowed to rule until he is 74.
Garment exports and tourism have brought buoyant economic growth but Cambodia remains one of the world’s poorest countries and the government is regularly accused of ignoring human rights and suppressing political dissent. — AFP
