Cambodia opposition seeks talks with ruling party over row

Cambodian long-time opposition leader Sam Rainsy on Thursday called for dialogues with the Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party over political conflict after the hotly-contested July's election. "The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) would like to reaffirm its will to reach a peaceful resolution to the current political deadlock," Party President Sam Rainsy said at a news briefing. "I will phone His Excellency Sar Kheng (Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister) to inform him that the CNRP is willing to resume dialogues between the two parties." CNRP's Vice-President Kem Sokha said the agendas for talks could be a request for probe into alleged poll irregularities and a demand for the resignation of the election council's leadership in order to pave the way for a credibly electoral reform. There is no immediate response from the ruling Cambodian People 's Party (CPP), but the CPP has several times denied the election fraud and rejected the proposal for the probe committee, saying it is against the nation's constitution. Sam Rainsy's appeal came after his party last week launched a three-day mass protest by marching through streets in the city to deliver petitions to the United Nations office and foreign embassies in a bid to seek their interventions in the country's political crisis after the election. Cambodia held a parliamentary election on July 28. The official results revealed that the ruling CPP of Prime Minister Hun Sen gained the victory, but the CNRP refused to accept the results, claiming serious irregularities. On Sept. 24, the Cambodian parliament, formed by the ruling party's 68 lawmakers-elect, voted for the establishment of a new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen even though the opposition's 55 lawmakers-elect boycotted the session. Sam Rainsy reiterated on Thursday that the current government is "illegitimate" since it was formed in a violation of the constitution. "We will continue to boycott the parliament unless the poll irregularities are resolved," he said. However, Hun Sen has defended that his government is " legitimate" since the nation's King Norodom Sihamoni had already given endorsement. Hun Sen, 61, who has been in power for 28 years, has vowed to rule the country until he is 74.