Sar Kheng Invites CNRP to Talk, Says Preconditions Won’t Be Met
In his closing address at a two-day National Election Committee (NEC) conference in Preah Sihanouk province on Sunday, Interior Minister Sar Kheng told the opposition CNRP to end its boycott of the National Assembly, but emphasized that neither an independent investigation into July’s disputed election nor a reshuffling of the NEC would be forthcoming. The CNRP’s 55 elected lawmakers are boycotting the National Assembly as they continue to insist on an independent investigation and reform of the NEC as preconditions to taking their seats, leaving the CPP’s 68 lawmakers to sit alone in government. … The CNRP’s election complaints had already been dealt with “within a very reasonable timeframe” of 60 days in accordance with the electoral law, and the NEC’s investigation into voting irregularities had revealed nothing more sinister than technical glitches, Mr. Kheng told the assembled gathering of lawmakers, NEC officials and NGO representatives. “From international experience there has never been a perfect election [and] every country encounters some technical shortcomings, [but] technical shortcomings and serious election irregularities are not the same thing,” Mr. Kheng said. …
Simon Henderson and Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/sar-kheng-invites-cnrp%E2%80%88to-talk-says-preconditions-wont-be-met-47794/
