Concessions small: Sochua

Once again since the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party ended its boycott of parliament in July, the party is finding itself rebutting claims that it has ceded too much ground to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.

In an agreement reached between Prime Minister Hun Sen and CNRP leader Sam Rainsy on Friday, the CNRP was granted a television station licence while Rainsy was made the parliament’s minority leader, a position formally “equal” to Hun Sen’s.

In return, the CNRP relented on a major sticking point by agreeing that no members of the National Election Committee could hold multiple nationalities, seemingly ruling out rights activist Pung Chhiv Kek from the position.

In an email to CNRP supporters, public relations director Mu Sochua appeared to address such criticisms against the party, saying that the “CNRP made no ‘major concessions’ on election reforms as reported by the media.”

Although supportive of the agreement overall, Koul Panha, executive director of election watchdog Comfrel, said he had problems with the controversial clause.

“On this point, it’s not that good,” said Panha. “In our political institutions and in the government, they have always included people [who have other nationalities] because so many were refugees and came from outside the country because of the killing fields.”

The agreement has also brought comparisons between the CNRP and the ill-fated royalist political party Funcinpec.

Read more at: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/concessions-small-sochua