Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, September 04, 2003
Cambodia's Major Parties Agree to Attend National Assembly Session
Cambodia's three major parties have agreed to answer King's call to attend the new National Assembly session later this month, local media reported Thursday.
Cambodia's three major parties have agreed to answer King's call to attend the new National Assembly session later this month, local media reported Thursday.
Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk in a letter on Tuesday said he will convene the new Assembly session before Sept. 27, urging the three parties not to boycott it, otherwise "they must take responsibility before the people who are owners of the votes."
Under Cambodia's Constitution, the new Assembly must convene before Sept. 26, within 60 days after the election.
The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), the royalist FUNCINPEC party and the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) all saidthey will attend the National Assembly session to honor the voters' mandate.
Prime Minister Hun Sen's CPP won 73 seats in the 123-seats National Assembly in the July 27 national election, while FUNCINPEC got 26 and the SRP 24, nine short for the CPP to form a government by its own.
FUNCINPEC and SRP, formed an Alliance of Democrats, refused to join a new government led by Hun Sen, demanding his resign.
Alliance of Democrats spokesman Ung Bun Ang said that Alliancewill respect the king's wishes, but first there should be a meeting between the Alliance and the CPP.
Om Yentieng, adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen, also said Wednesday that CPP parliamentarians are prepared to meet at the National Assembly.
However, he said before the Assembly, the CPP will schedule formal meeting with the two parties to agree on the posts for prime minister, as well as for parliamentary president and vice president.
"We need only one small party's parliamentarians to vote to support the prime minister candidate," the Cambodia Daily quoted Om Yenting as saying on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Ung Bun Ang acknowledged that inter-party meetings are crucial for the CPP to secure parliamentary support.