AFP
Cambodian opposition leader of the
Cambodia National Rescue Party Sam Rainsy speaks to his supporters at
the Democracy Park in Phnom Penh on July 19, 2013.
Phnom Penh -
Cambodia's opposition leader appealed to the ruling party-dominated
parliament on Tuesday to be reinstated as a lawmaker in his latest
attempt to run against strongman Premier Hun Sen in upcoming elections.
Sam Rainsy was greeted by huge
crowds when he returned from self-imposed exile last week after
receiving a surprise royal pardon for criminal convictions he contends
were politically motivated.
But the opposition leader is
barred from being a candidate in polls on July 28 after election
authorities on Monday ruled it was too late to add him to the electoral
register.
In a letter to the parliament,
Rainsy said his immunity and status as a lawmaker should be restored “so
that I am able to fulfil my duty as an MP”. He urged the move “in the
spirit of Khmer national unity and reconciliation”.
The opposition said restoring his
status as an MP could allow Rainsy to contest the election, as the party
looks to loosen Hun Sen's near three decade grip on power.
“When he becomes a MP, he would be
registered in the voter list and to stand as a candidate”
automatically, opposition spokesman Yim Sovann told AFP.
It was
not immediately clear how the bid would be greeted in the parliament,
which is dominated by Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP).
Senior CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap told AFP the parliament would examine Rainsy's request, but he was unable to say when.
Rainsy, seen as the only major challenger to Hun Sen, returned to Cambodia on Friday from exile in France.
The 64-year-old had faced a total
of 11 years in jail for various charges but was pardoned by King
Sihamoni earlier this month at Hun Sen's request.
The United States has welcomed the
pardon and called for Rainsy's full participation in Sunday's polls, in
sentiments echoed by the United Nations.
The opposition leader has hit the
campaign trail since landing in Cambodia and reportedly warned of a
backlash if he is barred from standing in the election.
He
demanded election authorities reconsider their decision to bar him from
the polls in a letter Tuesday, saying the ruling was “wrong”.
Rainsy, who fled Cambodia in 2009,
was stripped of his parliamentary seat in 2011 and removed from the
electoral register late last year.
All 28 members of parliament from
the only two opposition parties were last month stripped of their
salaries and status as lawmakers by a committee made up of ruling party
members for combining into a new political force. They are still allowed
to participate in the election.
Hun Sen is one of Southeast Asia's
longest-serving leaders. His CPP won the last two polls by a landslide
amid allegations of fraud and election irregularities. His government is
regularly accused of suppressing political freedoms and muzzling
activists. In May Hun Sen said he would try to stay in power for another
decade. - AFP
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