Post by Sam Rainsy.
២៣ កក្កដា ២០១៤ / 23 July 2014 - 15:00 - Read summary in English...
- ខ្ញំុ សូម បញ្ជាក់ អំពី គោលជំហរ និងគោលបំណង របស់ គណបក្ស សង្រ្គោះជាតិ ទាក់ទង ទៅនឹង កិច្ចព្រមព្រៀង នយោបាយ ជាមួយ គណបក្ស ប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា។
- I would like to elaborate on the CNRP position and intention with regard to the political agreement concluded with the CPP.
- Je voudrais préciser la position et l’intention du CNRP concernant l’accord politique conclu avec le CPP.
TRANSLATION AND COMMENTS BY RADIO FREE ASIA
Speaking in a video posted to his Facebook account, the president of
the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) said that the party’s decision
to end a boycott of parliament was necessary in order to amend the
country’s laws and reform the National Election Committee (NEC), which
oversees the nation’s polls.
His statement appears to be aimed at
CNRP members in the dark about the agreement clinched Tuesday with Hun
Sen in which the party agreed to join parliament after a nearly one-year
absence and the CPP pledged to back reforms to the government-appointed
NEC.
“My dear patriots, before judging [the CNRP’s stance in its
agreement with the CPP], please wait until the outcome is made plain,
then form your opinion on whether what we did was right or wrong,” he
said.
“No other option was better than the one that we chose.”
Sam Rainsy said that in breaking the political deadlock with the CPP, the CNRP had “ended the tense situation” in place since the ruling party was declared the victor by the NEC in elections in July last year despite allegations of widespread irregularities.
The standoff had
led elected CNRP lawmakers to boycott the National Assembly, or
parliament, and prompted opposition supporters to stage frequent
protests demanding Hun Sen’s resignation and re-elections—several of
which were met with violence by security personnel.
Sam Rainsy said
that Tuesday’s compromise would also lead to the reopening of Freedom
Park, the only public space provided for protests in the capital Phnom
Penh and which was closed off by authorities in the aftermath of a
deadly crackdown on CNRP-supported striking garment workers in January.
Following the closure, a ban on protests was put in place in the
capital, which the opposition leader said would be rescinded through the
deal.
He said the deal also resulted in the release from jail
Tuesday of seven CNRP lawmakers and a party activist who had been
detained and charged with insurrection last week. The eight were
arrested after clashes broke out between security personnel and
opposition supporters demanding a reopening of Freedom Park.
“We
ended the tense situation, those who were imprisoned were released, soon
Freedom Park will be reopened and the street protest ban will be
rescinded. So we will have our rights and freedom back,” he said.
About NEC reform Sam Rainsy said that only by joining parliament can
CNRP lawmakers vote for electoral reforms to be incorporated in the
country’s constitution.
“The most important thing is that we want a
reform of the NEC. The reform of the NEC must be done through the
National Assembly, because until we amend the laws and the constitution,
we cannot change it,” he said.
“The NEC members have been taking
orders from or supporting the CPP, but now the NEC will consist of nine
members—four from the CNRP, four from the CPP and one who will be
unanimously chosen by the two parties. Therefore, no one party has the
upper hand on another.”
The CNRP president said his party would work
to “ensure that the NEC is unbiased … to guarantee a proper and fair
election” in the future.
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