Opposition Wants to Keep Culture of Dialogue alive

Saturday, 24 January 2015; News by Khmer Times/Ven Rathavong

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President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party Sam Rainsy meets with party supporters in Tboung Khmum’s Memot district on Friday. (Photo: Sam Rainsy Facebook)

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 24  (Khmer Times) – Speaking to a gathering of supporters at a CNRP forum in Tboung Khmum’s Memot district yesterday, opposition leader Sam Rainsy said he wanted to continue to promote a culture of political dialogue with the ruling party, in order to resolve national issues. 

Mr. Rainsy said that as he is aging he wanted to build a reputation for promoting effective dialogue rather than confrontation, building on the culture of dialogue he claims was jointly initiated by Prime Minister Hun Sen and himself. “I will not let it go away [progress through dialogue],- I will try to keep it,” he said, adding that he hoped the parties could stop attacking each other.  

Mr. Rainsy also told those present at the forum that cooperation between the Cambodia People’s Party (CPP) and CNRP was essential to resolving the nation’s big problems.  

“If the ruling and opposition parties work together, we can resolve the big challenges facing people such as the cost of fuel and electricity,” Mr. Rainsy said. 

The opposition leader went on to claim that it was directly because of recent cross-party negotiations that the cost of fuel and electricity had decreased.

In an obvious reference to the re-emergence of the Funcinpec party and the introduction of the Khmer for Khmer advocacy group, Mr. Rainsy asserted that the big challenges cannot be resolved through a single-party system, or a system featuring numerous small fringe parties. 

He said “Only two large parties such as the CPP and CNRP, will remind, follow and push each other. That is the formula for democracy. If there was only one party, no one would care to reduce the electricity and fuel prices for us”.