Cambodia opposition rallies at capital's Freedom Park

Cambodian opposition party held a people's congress on Sunday afternoon at the capital's Freedom Park to collect its supporters' thumbprints against the results of the July 28 election that handed victory to Prime Minister Hun Sen 's ruling party.

Around 5,000 opposition supporters joined the half-day rally to express their opinions against the election results and the newly- formed government.

"The party will continue to boycott parliament if there is still no justice for voters," Sam Rainsy, president of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), spoke to the rally.

CNRP spokesman Yem Ponharith said that at the event, the party collected supporters' thumbprints and let them continue to collect thumbprints from other people in their communities.

"Based on their thumbprints, the party will make a petition in order to call for United Nations intervention in the country's political crisis after the disputed elections in July," he said.

The party would hold a mass protest on Oct. 23 at the Freedom Park in order to submit the petition to the United Nations and signatory countries of the Paris Accord through the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Office to Cambodia, he said.

The Cambodian parliament, formed by the ruling party's 68 lawmakers, on Sept. 24 voted for the formation of a new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen, even though the opposition's 55 legislators boycotted the session since it refused to accept the results of the July 28 election.

Sam Rainsy has announced that his party did not recognize the Prime Minister Hun Sen-led government, claiming that the newly- formed government 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 his endorsement.