The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 578
“Phnom Penh: Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen said on 15 September 2008 that the fourth term government will be announced officially on 25 September 2008, a day after the first session of the fourth term National Assembly.
“The head of the Cambodian Government and the vice-president of the winning party told journalists in the evening of 15 September 2008 that the date for the creation the government and for the session of the National Assembly will not be changed. In the morning of 24 September 2008, the first session [of the National Assemly] will be held under the presidency of the King. In the evening of 24 September 2008, the members of the National Assembly will swear in the Royal Palace. As for the morning of 25 September 2008, the National Assembly will hold a meeting to create the new government. The Council of Ministers of the new government will hold its first meeting in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 26 September 2008.
“Besides talking about the formation the government and about the first session of the National Assembly, Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen also emphasized that wheter or not all will attend the session is their problem, because in Cambodia, the winning party does not become hostage of the losing parties. Without caring about the announcement of a boycot by the Sam Rainsy Party and by the Human Rights Party, Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen said that he had told Mr. Say Chhum, the head of the Central Committee of the Cambodian People’s Party, to sugggest slates of candidates for the nine committee of the National Assembly. He said, ‘We will not wait for them.’
Furthermore, the head of the Cambodian People’s Party that won the elections, warned that if the recently elected members of the National Assembly from the Sam Rainsy Party and from the Human Rights Party will not attend the swearing-in ceremony to establish their validity as members of the Natinal Assembly, they will not receive salaries; this time, there is no exception.
“The Sam Rainsy Party and the Human Rights Party had jointly announced their position again on 15 September 2008 that the 29 newly elected parliamentarians, 26 from the Sam Rainsy Party and 3 from the Human Rights Party, will not attend the first session and the swearing-in ceremony together with the Cambodian People’s Party. This position was raised by the presidents of both opposition party leaders also during a meeting with the US Assistant Secretary of State, and both of them hope that he might be able to coordinate between the opposition parties and the ruling party.
Mr. Sam Rainsy and Mr. Kem Sokha Meet … to Ask for Support
“During a closed door meeting with the US Assistant Secretary of State, Mr. John Negroponte, in the evening of 15 September 2008, Mr. Sam Rainsy, the president of the Sam Rainsy Party, and Mr. Kem Sokha, the president of the Human Rights Party, jointly spoke about the recent elections, and about the distribution of positions in the National Assembly, to secure what these opposition parities’ leaders claim: a balance of power…
“Related to what was mentioned about the elections during the meeting between the opposition party leaders and the US Assistant Secretary of State, a member of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Cambodian People’s Party, Mr. Cheam Yeap, said that what the opposition parties’ leaders had stated is just a traditional strategy of opposition parties: they put up some obstacles in order to finally get some positions in the National Assembly. However he believes that although the US Assistant Secretary of State meets also with leaders of the Cambodian People’s Party, it will be the same. There will be no change made by the Cambodian People’s Party that won the elections. The Parliamentarian Cheam Yeap said that now, the time for the opposition parties to protest is over, because the Cambodian People’s Party is prepared for marching. He said, ‘We will work alone in the National Assembly, both president and vice president of the National Assembly, and all positions to chair the nine committees of the National Assembly, belong to the Cambodian People’s Party.’
“During the fourth term parliamentary elections on 27 July 2008, the Cambodian People’s Party won 90 seats of the 123 seats in the National Assembly, the Sam Rainsy Party won 26 seats, the Human Rights Party won 3 seats, Funcinpec won 2 seats, and the Norodom Ranariddh Party won also 2 seats. Because of these results, Mr. Sam Rainsy and Mr. Kem Sokha had announced to reject results, while many national and international observers, amog them from the United States and from Japan, had claimed that some irregularities could not affect the election results.
“Officials of the Cambodian government, leaders of the opposition parties, as well as officials of civil society organizations, consider the visit by the US Assistant Secretary of State to be a sign of stronger bilateral ties between Cambodia and the United States, and also, the visit strengthens future democracy in Cambodia. Before leaving Cambodia, Mr. John Negroponte will hold a press conference in the morning of 16 September 2008 regarding his three-day visit in Cambodia.” Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4695, 16.9.2008
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Chakraval, Vol.16, #2811, 16.9.2008
- People’s Housing at and near Boeng Kak Lake Begin to Be Flooded Gradually – They Ask the Municipality to Intervene by Pumping out Water as Soon as Possible [due to continuing heavy rain, together with sand dredging filled into the lake]
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1747, 16.9.2008
- [Minister of Information] Mr. Khieu Kanharith: Investigating Information Is Fundamental [he said during a UNESCO sponsored workshop about writing investigating reports – that are deeper than daily information]
Khmer Sthapana, Vol.1, #99, 16.9.2008
- One Should Think of Plastic Pollution [Dr. Mok Mareth, the Minister of Environment, said that leafs of lotus and of bananas can be converted to be fertilizer when they are disposed off, but plastic cannot]
- The Government Will Increase Rice Exports to Foreign Countries by the End of 2008
- Daun Penh District Deputy Police Chief Releases Thief Who Bit and Robbed a Foreigner [because there was no lawsuit from the victim]
Koh Santepheap, Vol.41, #6451, 16.9.2008
- Khmer and Siamese [Thai] Histories: the Preah Vihear Temple Was Built before There Were Siamese Nationals there
- Samdech Dekchor Hun Sen Calls Fuel Price to Be Lower; Price at World Market Drops by 25% while in Cambodia It Drops by 10% Only
- [Thai Special Border Protection Unit black-clad] Soldiers Arrest Khmer Spouse on Accusation of Using Fake Baht
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.15, #3566, 16.9.2008
- Prince Ranariddh Might Return to Cambodia in Late September
- Khmer Military and Police Protecting the Border Want to See the Government Send a Complaint to the United Nations the Sooner the Better
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4695, 16.9.2008
- Samdech Hun Sen: The Government Will be Formed on 25 September 2008
- Samdech Dekchor: Cambodia Understands Thailand, but It Must Not Continue the Presence of Troops on Khmer Territory [because of the political crisis in Thailand]
- The Philippines Support Cambodia’s Position to Solve Disputes with Thailand [peacefully]
Veasna Khmer, Vol.7, #3408, 15-16.9.2008
- The Increase of Electricity Needs Results in Frequent Electricity Cut-Offs
Click here to have a look at the last editorial – how the whole Khmer press withholds the final, decisive document from the public, before the Preah Vihear Temple was listed as a World Heritag Site.
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