Opposition parties vowed to press on with a Sunday demonstration despite Thursday night’s deadly grenade attack and a ban by the Ministry of Interior.
Sam Rainsy said Friday that the grenade attack in front of the Ministry of Interior was aimed at scaring people away from Sunday’s demonstration.
Opposition parties plan to march through Phnom Penh to demand that the National Election Committee and the Constitutional Council investigate alleged election irregularities.
“The only way to express our discontent is in the street. And I think that’s very sad because it can increase tension,” Sam Rainsy said.
The Ministry of Interior on Thursday banned the Sunday demonstration because it could not afford overtime pay for police. Instead, it said it would approve the rally for Monday.
“It is like telling a pregnant woman not to give birth on a Sunday because there aren’t any doctors working,” Sam Rainsy said.
Rainsy was joined at the press conference by Son Sann Party Secretary-General Kem Sokha, Funcinpec party member Ahmad Yahya and Cambodia National Sustaining Party President Pen Sovann, one of six party presidents who signed a proclamation joining the National United Front.
Also joining the opposition alliance Friday was the Khmer Unity Party, The Light of Liberty-Mr Thach Reng, Dharmacracy Women and National Party, the National Salvation Liberal Democratic Party and the Party for National Rebuilding.
Ahmad Yahya said Funcinpec had “mixed feelings” concerning Sunday’s demonstration, but would support it if the other parties were participating.
The Sam Rainsy Party continued to distribute leaflets Friday about the march, which is set to begin at 7:30 am Sunday at Olympic Stadium. There also may be marches Monday and Tuesday.