Sam Rainsy Tells King that CNRP Lawmakers Will not Attend Assembly Session

Cambodia (Kohker) – Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) President Sam Rainsy has sent a letter to His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, informing him that the opposition lawmakers will not attend the first session of the National Assembly as scheduled on 23 September 2013.

“All the 55 elected CNRP lawmakers will attend the first session of the National Assembly only when the CNRP and the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) have agreed with each other in resolving main issues of the nation in accordance with Your Majesty’s ideas as being mentioned in the Royal message to all the elected lawmakers of the CNRP dated 18 September 2013,” Sam Rainsy wrote in the letter dated 20 September 2013. “On the contrary, if the first session of the National Assembly still proceeds on 23 September 2013 without the presence of the elected lawmakers of the CNRP, it will be a violation of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia…”

In the letter, Sam Rainsy also asked the King to delay the parliament’s first session until the CNRP and CPP find peaceful solution to their election differences.

New Article 82 of the Constitution stipulates that, ‘The National Assembly shall hold its first session no later than sixty days after the election upon notice by the King...’ Sam Rainsy interpreted that the phrase ‘after the election’ here refers to the completion of the election on 8 September  2013 when the National Election Committee announced the official results of the election, not the polling day of 28 July 2013.

According to this new Article 82, the first session of the parliament can be delayed until 7 November 2013, he said.