Opposition Leaders and Parliamentary Candidates Swear not to Attend Assembly Session

(Cambodia-Kohker) -  Leaders of the Opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) have taken their parliamentary candidates to the sacred Temple of Angkor Wat in the northeastern province of Siem Reap to swear not to attend the first session of the National Assembly on 23 September 2013.

The swearing ceremony was held this morning (22 September) in front of the temple, in which 63 opposition candidates for the National Assembly members in the fifth term (55 have been officially elected  and 8 others are, according to Sam Rainsy, victims of the election irregularities) swore that they will absolutely not attend the National Assembly’s opening session as scheduled on 23 September 2013.

In their oaths, which are posted on Sam Rainsy’s Facebook, the CNRP leaders and parliamentary candidates also swore that will absolutely not betray their Cambodian homeland and the will of the citizens, and will absolutely oppose dictatorship, corruption, violence and all types of social injustice.   

On 20 September, CNRP president Sam Rainsy also sent a letter to His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, informing him that all the elected opposition lawmakers will not attend the National Assembly session until the CNRP and the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) have agreed with each other in resolving main issues of the nation. Sam Rainsy also asked the King to delay the parliament’s first session.

According to the official results of the July 28 general election as announced by the National Election Committee (NEC), the ruling CPP won 68 of the total 123 seats in the National Assembly, while the CNRP took the remaining 55; but the opposition party dismissed the election results, alleging that the election was full of serious irregularities. The CNRP claimed it won at least 63 parliamentary seats to the CPP’s 60, and accused the ruling party of colluding with the NEC to steal its votes.