Cambodian ruling, opposition resume talks over political row

Cambodian ruling and opposition party officials on Tuesday resumed talks over the political dispute after the July's election but produced no fruitful results. The three-hour meeting was made between the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP)'s working group led by Prum Sokha, secretary of state at the Interior Ministry, and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP)'s working group headed by lawmaker- elect Son Chhay. Speaking at a joint news briefing after the meeting, CNRP's spokesman Yim Sovann said the CNRP proposed a request for probe into alleged poll irregularities and demanded the resignation of the National Election Committee's leadership in order to pave the way for a credibly electoral reform. "If there is no appropriate solution to the requests, the CNRP will continue to boycott parliament," he said. Prum Sokha said since the top leaders of the two parties on Sept. 16 agreed to the electoral reform, the CPP talked only about the electoral reform in the future. "Both sides will bring the meeting's outcome to our respective leaders for consideration and we will meet again sometimes this weekend," he said. The country held a general election on July 28. The results showed that the long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen's CPP won the victory. But the longtime opposition leader Sam Rainsy's CNRP refused to accept the results, claiming serious poll irregularities. Despite a boycott of parliament by the opposition's 55 lawmakers-elect, the ruling party's 68 lawmakers-elect voted on Sept. 24 for the formation of a new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen. Sam Rainsy has said that the current government is " illegitimate" because it was formed in a violation of the constitution and his party will continue to boycott parliament unless the poll irregularities are resolved. But Hun Sen has defended that his government is "legitimate" since the nation's King Norodom Sihamoni had already given endorsement.