Hun Sen vows to deeply reform his party-controled government
Vathey
Cambodia News & New Youth
Phnom Penh (Sept 24, 2013): Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday premised in front of the National Assembly run by his Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) that he would strongly reform his new government for the next five years.
Speaking in front of the 68 CPP parliamentarians without any from the opposition party – Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) — Hun Sen urged international donors, development partners, civil society, private sector as well as civil servants to support his government policy for “deep and comprehensive reform”.
In the afternoon, Hun Sen will lead his new ministers to swear in at his office – Peace Palace — so that the ministers can start performing their functions officially.
On Tuesday, the National Assembly officially officially appointed its President, First and Second Vice Presidents – the three are from CPP.
In his remarks, Hun Sen also mock at CNRP parliamentarians who made their boycott not to join the first National Assembly chaired King Norodom Sihamoni on Monday, saying that the national assembly cannot be a hostage of any one.
Although both CNRP and a group of civil society organisations as well as Buddhist monks asked the King to delay the first meeting until CPP and CNRP could find political deal, His Majesty the King still chaired the first parliamentary meeting and released a royal decree on Monday to appoint Hun Sen as the Prime Minister for the next five years.
The National Election Committee (NEC) on September 8 officially declared that CPP won the July 28 election saying that CPP got 68 and CNRP got 55 out of the total of 123 seats of the National Assembly.
However, the CNRP has rejected the results saying that its party claiming the poll was fraud with many irregularities. It say its party won up to 63 and that the results were stolen and alleged NEC as the thief who helped steal the election results for CPP.
CNRP new elected parliamentarians led by Sam Rainsy on Monday were in Siem Reap, northwest country, and they all swore that they would join the join the parliamentray meeting until their demands were met.
CNRP declared to continue its mass demonstration until justice is found. At least one man dead and more than 10 others, including a journalist, were injured during the bloody protest on September 15.
CNRP leader Sam Rainsy last Friday called for NEC to declare CNRP and CPP joint victors, saying that it would be a step to break down political crisis and there could be a “balance of power”.