King Norodom Sihanouk will not broker a resolution for Cambodia’s political standoff unless the three main political party leaders write and sign a joint letter asking him for help, a statement from the King said Monday.
The King on Saturday invited the leaders of the CPP, Funcinpec and the Sam Rainsy Party to a joint meeting this Saturday to negotiate a break in the parties’ current standoff. A swearing-in ceremony was to precede negotiations, regardless of whether all or none of the parties joined.
But the monarch on Monday demanded a signed commitment from all three party heads.
“I would like to inform that: I don’t help the CPP, Funcinpec and Sam Rainsy to successfully form the new government,” the King wrote.
“I have announced a lot of times already; if the three political parties’ presidents sign in one letter proposing to work with me in the Royal Palace in order to [form a] new government of Cambodia…I can accept,” the statement continued.
Once such a letter is signed and delivered, the King said he would “warmly welcome to work together daytime and night.”
The ruling party will not comply with the King’s request due to excessive demands made by the Alliance of Democrats, said CPP spokesman Khieu Kanharith.
“There should be a soft discussion first. [Alliance members] have started with the tough discussion. It means that they have already closed the door,” Khieu Kanharith said Monday.
He said Prime Minister Hun Sen might sign the joint letter if the Alliance modifies its demand for a new prime minister.
“We are waiting for the [Alliance] to change its principle,” Khieu Kanharith said. He added that the CPP’s preferred strategy is to reach an agreement with Funcinpec and the Sam Rainsy Party before asking the King to recognize the deal.
“We don’t want the King to face difficulties. He is old right now,” he said.
Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Ung Bun-Ang said the opposition supported the King’s proposition.
“It is correct, but first there should be a discussion,” he said, adding that Hun Sen must explain why he should remain prime minister. Hun Sen has said he will stay in his post because the CPP has selected him to fill it.
The Alliance of Democrats will not waver in its demand for Hun Sen to relinquish control of the government, Ung Bun-Ang said.
The King’s most recent letter was scripted two days after Senate President Chea Sim opened the National Assembly with a meeting attended by only the CPP’s 73 elected lawmakers.
The King said previously that he would convene the meeting if all three parties participated. He began dressing for the occasion last Saturday after receiving a false report that Sam Rainsy would attend the ceremony.
Royal Palace Minister Kong Sam Ol sent the King a letter on Sunday clarifying the circumstances surrounding the monarch’s false start.
The minister, who has been accused of feeding King Sihanouk misinformation and excoriated as a CPP lackey, said he heard from Minister of Cabinet Sok An and co-Minister of Interior Sar Kheng that Sam Rainsy Party and Funcinpec parliamentarians would attend.
Sok An and Sar Kheng, in turn, claimed they heard the news from radio reports on FM 102, which allegedly aired the recorded voices of Sam Rainsy and Funcinpec Information Minister Lu Laysreng, Kong Sam Ol’s letter stated.
The Women’s Media Center of Cambodia, which runs FM 102, issued a statement Monday denying that it aired Sam Rainsy’s voice.
The Media Center stated that it interviewed Lu Laysreng, Ung Bun-Ang and CPP representative Nhuon Nhel, but not Sam Rainsy.
“Only CPP’s representative Nhoun Nhel clarified that CPP’s parliamentarians will be at the opening of the third legislature. But Lu Laysreng and Ung Bun-Ang didn’t clarify that there would be participation from its parliamentarians in the interview,” the statement said.
