With commune elections set for next year and the national election in 2018, the CNRP will continue its strategy of avoiding confrontation at all costs, according to a statement released after a meeting of senior party officials in Manila over the past two days.
“The CNRP will keep quiet by not answering, responding or arguing,” the statement said, echoing a refrain introduced by deputy opposition leader Kem Sokha during his recent tours of the country for party meetings.
Mr. Sokha has refused to publicly acknowledge a scandal involving recordings posted online this month purported to be a sexually suggestive conversation between him and a young mistress.
The party’s statement said the other main points discussed in this week’s meetings included updating the party’s platform, promoting positive relations with the ruling CPP and creating internal rules for lawmakers to ensure their effectiveness.
Lao Mong Hay, a political analyst who has worked as an advisor for the CNRP, described the party’s current strategy as “stoicism.”
“To the public, maybe it doesn’t sound good, but it makes sense under the current circumstances,” he said. “They have enough ahead on their plates.”
