Cambodian opposition renews mass protest against July's election results

The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) launched Wednesday a three-day mass demonstration at the capital's Freedom Park to demand a review of election results that handed victory to Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party.

"The peaceful and non-violent mass protest is to demand justice for voters related to the irregularities of the fifth parliamentary election,"CNRP's President Sam Rainsy said in a news briefing Wednesday."We also call for a reliable mechanism to reform elections in the future."

The opposition has announced that about 40,000 people are expected to take part in the protest in which the authority has said it would allow only a maximum of 10,000.

CNRP's lawmaker-elect Ho Vann said on the first day of the protest, which will coincide with the anniversary of the signing of the 1991 Paris Peace Accord, protestors will march to the United Nations office to submit a petition, and on Thursday morning, they will march to the embassies of France, the United Kingdom and the United States. While on Friday morning, they will walk to the embassies of Australia, Russia, Japan, Indonesia and China in order to deliver the petition. "The petition is to call for the interventions from the United Nations and signatory countries of the Paris Accord in the country ' s political crisis after the disputed election results in July," he told Xinhua.

Phnom Penh Municipality Governor Pa Socheatvong issued a statement on Tuesday, allowing the opposition to hold the three- day protest at the capital's Freedom Park during daytime.

He said protestors participating in the event must be a maximum of 10,000 -- the maximum capacity of the Freedom Park, and some 1, 000 protestors would be allowed to march through the city to deliver the petition to the UN and foreign embassies.

Security forces have been deployed around the Freedom Park and along streets in the city on Wednesday to maintain security, safety and public order.

Spokesman for the National Military Police Kheng Tito said Tuesday that more than 1,000 military police officers have been used to ensure security and public order during the protest, saying that the forces were not included the armed forces from the National Police, the Bodyguard Unit and other special unit forces.

The opposition used to hold a three-day mass protest in mid- September, leading to two clashes between police and protesters.

The nation held a general election on July 28. The official results showed that the ruling party of Prime Minister Hun Sen won victory, but the opposition CNRP refused to accept the results, claiming serious irregularities during the poll.

On Sept. 24, the Cambodian parliament, formed by the ruling party's 68 lawmakers, voted for the formation of a new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen even though the opposition's 55 lawmakers-elect boycotted the session. "The opposition party will continue to boycott parliament unless there is an appropriate solution to the contested July's election, "CNRP's President Sam Rainsy said.

Rainsy has said that his party did not recognize Prime Minister Hun Sen-led government, claiming that it was a violation of the constitution.

However, Hun Sen defended that his government was legitimate since the nation's King Norodom Sihamoni had already given endorsement.