Cambodia Opposition Says Mass Protests Last Resort

Cambodia's opposition leader Sam Rainsy speaks to reporters on his return from his daughter's wedding in the United States 

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia August 16, 2013 (AP)

By SOPHENG CHEANG Associated Press

Cambodia's opposition leader whose party is disputing its narrow loss in last month's elections said Friday his supporters will take to the streets only as a last resort if their complaints of poll irregularities are not resolved fairly.

Cambodia National Rescue Party leader Sam Rainsy returned home Friday after a weeklong visit to the United States to lead the party's challenge in the country's political standoff, which many fear may lead to violent confrontations.

He told reporters at Phnom Penh's airport that he expects Prime Minister Hun Sen will allow an impartial, independent committee to probe allegations of widespread fraud by the ruling party during the July 28 elections.

"Because, nobody would recognize any government stemming from fake elections," he said.

In message posted on his Facebook page shortly before his return, he had said he "will immediately take part in the effort on the spot to find a peaceful solution to the political crisis arising from unprecedented and inacceptable irregularities."

The official election results support the claim of Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party to have won have won 68 of the 123 seats in the National Assembly, against 55 for Sam Rainsy's party. The opposition claims to have actually won 63, even though the official number represents a substantial gain on the 29 seats it held in the last assembly.

The opposition has threatened to hold a massive demonstration if an impartial, independent committee does not resolve complaints over alleged widespread election irregularities.

Asked whether his party would carry out its threat to stage massive street protest if its demand for a probe was not met, he said it had to be ready to do so but "as a last resort."

The government has responded to the opposition threats by deploying troops and armored vehicles in the capital. Hun Sen, Cambodia's leader for 28 years, has a reputation for dealing harshly with his opponents.

Ratification of the results will not take place until sometime before Sept. 8, after the government-appointed National Election Committee has dealt with 17 formal complaints.

"The whole world knows that CNRP won the election and the whole world will help CNRP to expose the truth - the truth is that CNRP won the election," Sam Rainsy said upon arrival at the airport, where he was greeted by about 300 supporters.

Sam Rainsy had spent about a week in the United States to attend his daughter's wedding. Sam Rainsy had also been expected to test the waters for international support for his campaign to pressure Hun Sen's government.

He said he had met with senior U.S. and United Nations officials in New York. His party has called for the U.N. to play a role in the election scrutiny body.

The total popular vote was 3,235,969 for the ruling CPP and 2,946,176 for the CNRP, with six other parties failing to accrue enough votes to win any assembly seats.

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Cambodia opposition chief says poll protest 'last resort'

PHNOM PENH (AFP) - Cambodia's opposition leader Sam Rainsy on Friday said mass protests were "a last resort" against hotly disputed election results that handed victory to strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Rainsy reiterated his belief that the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) won the July 28 poll despite preliminary results handing victory to the incumbent premier's long-ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP).

"(We will) keep demanding justice for the people. We have to prepare all kinds of measures," he told reporters, speaking on his return from his daughter's wedding in the United States.

But he added that threatened mass demonstrations were a "last resort" to overturn a Hun Sen win.

Political deadlock has gripped Cambodia since the CPP claimed victory at the polls, with the military deployed in the capital Phnom Penh last week after the opposition repeatedly threatened to take to the streets.

Preliminary official results, released on Monday by the National Election Committee (NEC), found Hun Sen's CPP had edged the popular poll, taking 3.2 million votes to the opposition's 2.9 million -- although it is yet to reveal the share of parliamentary seats.

The opposition has rejected and appealed the results, demanding an independent probe into its allegation that the election was tarnished by massive vote-rigging.

  

"The whole world knows that CNRP won the election and the whole world will help CNRP to expose the truth," Rainsy said.

The NEC said the political impasse means they will now announce the number of seats by September 8.

The CPP claims it secured an estimated 68 of the 123 lower house seats available, while the CNRP won 55.

If confirmed, it would be the ruling party's worst election result since 1998.

But the opposition, which has also threatened to boycott parliament, says it won and last week called on the United Nations to help resolve the impasse.

While an inquiry into the election has been broadly accepted by all involved, the parties have failed to agree on the composition of a probe committee.

The CNRP has softened its initial call for the UN to sit on the panel, but has instead pushed for the exclusion of the NEC -- which it accuses of pro-government bias.

Hun Sen -- who has been in power for 28 years -- has vowed to establish a government under his leadership despite the opposition's allegations.

The premier, 61, a former Khmer Rouge cadre who defected from the murderous regime, has vowed to rule until he is 74. - See more at: http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=11&token=NDZhMjViMjRhOTk#sthash.EhEUrtDQ.dpuf