CPP, CNRP fail to agree on date for new election

Prime Minister Hun Sen and opposition leader Sam Rainsy on Thursday failed to reach a deal on the date of the next national election but reaffirmed that the point remains the last hurdle to a deal that would end the country’s political deadlock. Mr. Rainsy said on Wednesday that the pair could appear before King Norodom Sihamoni today to sign a deal ending the CNRP’s boycott of its National Assembly seats, if he and Mr. Hun Sen agreed to an election date Friday. In a speech at the National Institute of Education on Thursday morning, Mr. Hun Sen confirmed Mr. Rainsy’s claims. He added that the two had in fact agreed during a Wednesday phone call to move the next election from July 2018 to February 2018. The approval of CNRP Vice President Kem Sokha, who is currently touring Cambodian communities in the U.S., was all that was required to finish the deal, Mr. Hun Sen said. Mr. Rainsy, speaking by telephone, immediately denied Mr. Hun Sen’s claim. In a press conference in the afternoon, he indicated that the CNRP is now willing to accept a July 2017 vote. There is no comprehensive agreement yet,” said Mr. Rainsy. “The CPP accepts that the next legislative election will be held in February 2018. We replied that it is not enough.” …

 Khy Sovuthy and Alex Willemyns
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cpp-cnrp-fail-to-agree-on-date-for-new-election-56411/