Cambodia's ruling, opposition leaders still at odds over poll probe committee

Cambodia's long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen and long-time opposition leader Sam Rainsy on Monday still disagreed over opposition's request for an independent committee to look into the contested July 28 election, officials said. "The two leaders remained at odds over this point as the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) still stuck to its demand for a poll probe committee, while the Cambodian People's Party ( CPP) rejected it," opposition CNRP's spokesman Yim Sovann said in a joint press briefing after a five-hour meeting between the two leaders at the National Assembly. He said the CNRP has not decided yet if the party's lawmakers would attend the opening session of the new parliament on Sept. 23 without an independent poll probe committee. Prak Sokhon, minister attached to Prime Minister Hun Sen, said the CPP could not move backwards since the opposition-requested committee was against the country's constitution. "Moreover, the National Election Committee (NEC) and the Constitutional Council, which are the top institutions in charge of resolving election issues, had made their decisions already about the election results," he said in the press briefing. "We have no rights to walk backwards on this matter." The results, released on Sept. 8, showed that the CPP of Hun Sen won victory with 68 parliamentary seats and the CNRP of Sam Rainsy received the remaining 55 seats. But the CNRP did not recognize the outcomes, claiming that its party should win 63 seats, with the CPP getting 60 seats if alleged irregularities during the poll were fairly investigated. Prak Sokhon said the opening session of the upcoming parliament would be on schedule with or without the participation of the CNRP 's lawmakers. "There will be no any postponement to the opening session of the parliament on Sept.23," he said. Prime Minister Hun Sen has said that his party has enough lawmakers to override any opposition parliamentary boycott and form a new government. During the Monday's meeting, the two leaders also agreed to avoid further clashes between police and protestors after a clash at Sunday night left one protester dead and several injured. "Both sides agree to comply with the King's royal message dated Sept. 16," said a joint statement after the meeting. King Norodom Sihamoni on Monday urged opposition protesters and police to stop using violence against each other after a deadly clash at Sunday night. "I would like to beg all compatriots who are the protesters and the authorities to stop using violence in all images such as stone throwing or weapon using that cause injuries or deaths to people, and create serious danger to the whole nation," the King said in a royal message. He urged people to return to the tradition of non-violence and exercise their utmost restraints to avoid national instability. The King's royal message came after a clash between police and opposition party protesters at Sunday night at a flyover in the southern part of the city, leaving one man dead and several wounded. Two clashes between police and protesters broke out on Sunday during a mass protest led by Sam Rainsy against the election results. In the clashes, the police had fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters. On Monday, a few thousands of opposition protesters still rally at the capital's Freedom Park even though the City Hall did not give them permission. At the end of the meeting, the two leaders also agreed to create a mechanism to reform the National Election Committee and would continue meetings with officials at varioius levels to resolve national issues.