Cambodia's Two Major Parties Sign Alliance Agreement

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, August 24, 2003

Cambodia's Two Major Parties Sign Alliance Agreement

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The newly-formed Alliance of Democrats between the royalist FUNCINPEC party and the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) signed its alliance agreement on Saturday to challenge the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP).

FUNCINPEC President Prince Norodom Ranariddh and the opposition SRP leader Sam Rainsy attended the signing ceremony along with more than 200 senior members from the two parties.

Both the royalist FUNCINPEC and the SRP were defeated by the CPP at July 27's national election. The two parties, however, rejected the election results, and vowed to form a tripartite government without incumbent Prime Minister Hun Sen as new premier.

The alliance had put forward six principles and five measures in its agreement, emphasizing to strengthen democracy in Cambodia, fight against corruption and provide common strategies and action plans for resolving political impasses or crisis that might arise in the aftermath of the election.

At the same time, the alliance reaffirmed that the election of July 27 was not conducted in a free and fair manner.

They vowed to promote and strengthen the alliance in the domestic and international arenas, and to merge the two political parties into one single party at an opportune moment.

On Friday, the two parties appointed Prince Norodom Ranariddh as the president of the alliance with opposition leader Sam Rainsyas first deputy president and Prince Norodom Sirivuth, also of FUNCINEC, as second deputy president.

"The two parties are sure to merge into one single party in 2008 in order to win the next national election," Prince Norodom Ranariddh told reporters on Friday.

It was said the alliance will begin negotiations with the ruling Cambodian People's Party for a three-party government.

The ruling party CPP is expected to win 73 out of the 123 National Assembly seats in the July 27 national election. Fallingshort of two-thirds majority of the votes, the CPP will not be able to create a new government without forming a coalition.

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