The working groups of the ruling CPP and opposition CNRP met Tuesday to begin drafting new internal rules for the National Assembly that will recognize opposition leader Sam Rainsy as the parliament’s official “minority leader.”
Mr. Rainsy and Prime Minister Hun Sen decided to create the new position during a meeting on Friday held to work out the remaining points of contention in the July 22 deal that ended the CNRP’s 10-month boycott of its Assembly seats.
After leaving the closed-door meeting Tuesday, CNRP lawmaker Eng Chhay Eang, who led the opposition party’s working group, said the amendment to the Assembly rules would require parties to officially name their leaders.
“The meaning of this amendment is that we will create [formal] leaders of the parliamentarians of the political parties in the National Assembly,” Mr. Chhay Eang said.
“Furthermore, the party having seats in the National Assembly from 25 percent and upward will also appoint the National Assembly’s minority leader, who will have an equal status to the prime minister and will be the dialogue partner of government leaders on the country’s issues.”
Mr. Chhay Eang said that 82 lawmakers, including 33 from the CNRP, had written to National Assembly President Heng Samrin formally proposing the rule change.
He also said the new minority leader would be appointed by the end of the year, but would not necessarily be Mr. Rainsy, who is the CNRP’s president and has led the political opposition since 1995.
CPP lawmaker Sik Bun Hok, a member of the ruling party’s working group, said his party was pleased at the prospect of having a minority leader to work with.
“It’s a new way of creating an atmosphere of dialogue, aiming for the existence of harmony in the National Assembly,” he said. “It means whenever there is something that has happened, we will sit down and talk.”
