UN rights envoy hails Cambodia's poll, calls for calm,political reconciliation

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Surya P. Subedi on Wednesday praised Cambodia's general elections held on Sunday, and appealed for calm and political reconciliation. "Sunday's general election was a display of maturity in democratic exercise in the country," Subedi said in a statement released by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Office to Cambodia. He commended all political actors for their restraints during the poll. "I congratulate the people of Cambodia on exercising their right to vote in a largely peaceful manner," he said. "I now call for calm and political reconciliation in the greater interests of the nation." The human rights expert also appealed to the people and all political actors "not to succumb to racial hatred, whether in person or through other means such as social media, and to contribute towards building a tolerant, cohesive and liberal democratic society." With regard to the many allegations of irregularities, Subedi called on the appropriate bodies to promptly and impartially investigate them, and urged the Cambodian National Election Committee (NEC) to thoroughly account for every unused ballot paper. According to the initial unofficial results, the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of longtime Prime Minister Hun Sen won the victory with 68 parliamentary seats in Sunday poll and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) of recently- returned leader Sam Rainsy got the remaining 55 seats. Sam Rainsy said Monday that the party did not recognize the results of Sunday poll, claiming widespread fraud, and submitted a request to the NEC to demand for the establishment of a joint committee to investigate irregularities during the election. In his first public appearance on Wednesday, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that the government and the CPP welcomed the creation of a joint committee in order to "show transparency and to find a solution that will be acceptable to all sides." The premier also announced that his ruling CPP was ready to talk with the opposition CNRP on the establishment of a new parliament after the poll. "The CPP is ready to negotiate with the party that wins seats in parliament towards the preparations of the National Assembly's new apparatus," he told reporters. Despite winning the victory in the Sunday election, the results are a blow to the ruling CPP as its parliamentary seats has dropped from 90 seats in the election in 2008 to 68 seats in the Sunday poll, while the opposition CNRP's seats have seen a dramatic rise from 29 seats to 55 seats. Hun Sen, who has been in power for 28 years, will extend his power for another five years through Sunday's victory.