18 June 2008
By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata, courtesy of Ki-Media
Click here to read the original article in Khmer
A high-ranking official claimed that the National Assembly (NA) cannot convene a plenary session yet to lift opposition leader Sam Rainsy’s immunity during a time when the NA is in recess, and the 27 July general election is fast approaching.
Heng Samrin, NA president, gave a short interview to RFA over the phone this Wednesday, saying that there are several reasons that make the NA unable to convene a plenary session immediately.
Heng Samrin said: “There cannot be an immediate session, because the NA is currently in recess, there is no session, the election is under way. Only when there is a request for a plenary session from the prime minister or the king to lift the immunity for this to happen. If there is no request from the prime minister or the king, there cannot be any discussion because we are now in recess, and we are holding the election campaign. This issue must be decided later.”
He indicated that the NA did not receive the letter from the Phnom Penh municipal court requesting the lifting of Sam Rainsy’s immunity yet.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said in reaction to the request for lifting his immunity by the Phnom Penh municipal court that: “What they want to do with the lifting of my immunity is to arrest me. This shows that the CPP is in disarray, they are afraid of the SRP, they know that they will lose to the SRP in the upcoming election.”
On Monday, reports indicated that the Phnom Penh municipal court asked the NA to lift Sam Rainsy’s immunity to allow the court to charge him or arrest him stemming from a lawsuit by Hor Namhong, the minister of Foreign Affairs, regarding defamation and disinformation.
Dam Sith, the editor-in-chief of the Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper and also a SRP candidate for the city of Phnom Penh, was released on bail on 15 June, after Hun Sen vouched for him personally.
Dam Sith was arrested by the Phnom Penh military police, sent to the court, and charged with defamation and disinformation after his newspaper published an article in April quoting Sam Rainsy’s speech saying at the Choeung Ek Memorial, but not naming anyone in particular, that the minister of Foreign Affairs was the former Boeng Trabek jail chief under the KR regime.
Hor Namhong, the minister of Foreaign Affairs, rejected this accusation, and he sued both Dam Sith and Sam Rainsy.
Heng Samrin, NA president, gave a short interview to RFA over the phone this Wednesday, saying that there are several reasons that make the NA unable to convene a plenary session immediately.
Heng Samrin said: “There cannot be an immediate session, because the NA is currently in recess, there is no session, the election is under way. Only when there is a request for a plenary session from the prime minister or the king to lift the immunity for this to happen. If there is no request from the prime minister or the king, there cannot be any discussion because we are now in recess, and we are holding the election campaign. This issue must be decided later.”
He indicated that the NA did not receive the letter from the Phnom Penh municipal court requesting the lifting of Sam Rainsy’s immunity yet.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said in reaction to the request for lifting his immunity by the Phnom Penh municipal court that: “What they want to do with the lifting of my immunity is to arrest me. This shows that the CPP is in disarray, they are afraid of the SRP, they know that they will lose to the SRP in the upcoming election.”
On Monday, reports indicated that the Phnom Penh municipal court asked the NA to lift Sam Rainsy’s immunity to allow the court to charge him or arrest him stemming from a lawsuit by Hor Namhong, the minister of Foreign Affairs, regarding defamation and disinformation.
Dam Sith, the editor-in-chief of the Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper and also a SRP candidate for the city of Phnom Penh, was released on bail on 15 June, after Hun Sen vouched for him personally.
Dam Sith was arrested by the Phnom Penh military police, sent to the court, and charged with defamation and disinformation after his newspaper published an article in April quoting Sam Rainsy’s speech saying at the Choeung Ek Memorial, but not naming anyone in particular, that the minister of Foreign Affairs was the former Boeng Trabek jail chief under the KR regime.
Hor Namhong, the minister of Foreaign Affairs, rejected this accusation, and he sued both Dam Sith and Sam Rainsy.
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