Cambodian King urges newly-elected lawmakers to see national interest as top priority

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni on Monday called on all newly-elected lawmakers to see the country' s interest as the top priority and unify for the nation's prestige. Speaking at the opening session of the fifth legislature of the National Assembly, the king congratulated all lawmakers for being elected by the Cambodian people in the July 28 election. "This is a new opportunity for our legislative body, all elected lawmakers, to try all your best both physically and mentally to serve the nation by seeing national interest as the top priority," King Sihamoni said during the opening session, which was attended by only the ruling party's elected lawmakers as the opposition's elected legislators boycotted it. The king also urged all lawmakers to work closely in order to lead the Cambodian people to live in happiness, peace and stability in the context of ensuring freedom and human rights respect. "To achieve these excellent duties, the Cambodian people should have highly-national unity and solidarity based on the implementation of democratic principles and rule of law that the kingdom has carried out since 1993," he said. He added that the nation needed to further construct social justice to a higher level through more active reforms on legal and judicial systems. "I hope that the fifth legislature of the National Assembly will function well and fulfill its duties successfully for the interest of the nation and the Cambodian people," he said. Sixty-eight elected lawmakers from the ruling Cambodian People' s Party (CPP) of long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen were present at the opening session, while all the 55 legislators from the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) of long-time opposition leader Sam Rainsy did not attend . The opposition CNRP boycotted the session since it did not recognize the results of the July 28 parliamentary election, claiming serious vote fraud and demanding the formation of an independent poll probe committee, but the CPP rejected the request, saying the move was against the country's constitution and the election results were already ratified. Hun Sen and Sam Rainsy had held two rounds of talks last week, aiming at finding a way to break through the political impasse, but failed to reach any major agreement. Hun Sen has said that his party has enough lawmakers to override any opposition parliamentary boycott and form a new government. He said, according to the constitution, a new government would be formed by a 50 percent plus one majority, or 63 lawmakers, in the new parliament. Hun Sen, 61 will govern the country for another five years through the election victory. According to the official schedule, a new government led by Hun Sen will be formed on Tuesday.