Crisis deepens as Cambodian opposition leader loses parliament post
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia’s ruling party ousted the opposition leader from his post of deputy parliament president yesterday after a controversial house vote that could nudge the Southeast Asian country closer to political conflict.
All 68 Cambodian People’s Party ( CPP) parliamentarians voted to remove Cambodia National Rescue Party ( CNRP) leader Kem Sokha for breaking the terms of a political deal in which the CNRP had agreed not to disparage the ruling party.
CNRP boycotted the vote, calling it unconstitutional.
It followed a petition lodged by hundreds of CPP supporters, who held a rally on Monday calling for Kem Sokha’s removal.
Two CNRP lawmakers were badly beaten by unknown attackers after the protest, an attack which Prime Minister Hun Sen condemned but said was not the work of his CPP supporters.
“Kem Sokha has always intended to destroy the deal and destroy the relationship between the two political parties,” CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said.
The stripping of Kem Sokha’s legislative post is the latest salvo by the long-ruling CPP that suggests its political deal with the increasingly popular CNRP for a “new culture of dialogue” has collapsed.
The agreement in July 2014 saw CNRP end a year-long house boycott in return for a series of concessions by CPP and some rare conciliatory talk by self- styled strongman Hun Sen.
Kem Sokha was appointed deputy National Assembly president as part of the deal. — Reuters