CNRP’s Kem Sokha Refutes Claim That the Party Is Divided

CNRP vice president Kem Sokha on Monday denied claims made by Interior Minister Sar Kheng’s cabinet chief that leaders of the opposition party were making conflicting demands of the ruling CPP. The two parties have been locked in a political stalemate since July’s election, with the CNRP alleging massive electoral fraud and re­fusing to take their seats in parliament after negotiations broke down. In a statement released Saturday, Lieutenant General Khieu Sopheak, Mr. Kheng’s cabinet chief, said that CNRP president Sam Rainsy had called Mr. Kheng to say he no longer wanted the presidency of the National As­sembly, but that Mr. Sokha and CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann still profess to want to leadership position. “We’ve never said anything about what positions [in the Na­tional Assembly] we want, we al­ways said we are merely looking for justice related to irregularities in the national election,” Mr. Sokha told reporters after a Buddhist ceremony at the CNRP’s Tuol Kok headquarters to honor the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk, who died one year ago today. During an event last week to congratulate security forces for their handling of the election period and subsequent protests by the CNRP, Mr. Kheng said the CPP had agreed to give the CNRP four committee chairmanships and the vice presidency of the National Assembly, an offer the opposition has repeatedly rejected. … “I never received proof [of Lt. Gen. Sopheak’s claims] and we never had any official meetings [with the CPP about Permanent Committee positions],” Mr. Sokha said. Mr. Sokha said Mr. Kheng and Lt. Gen. Sopheak were merely at­tempting to make the CNRP appear internally divided. …

 Khy Sovuthy and Ben Woods
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cnrps-kem-sokha-refutes-claim-that-the-party-is-divided-45109/