Cambodian parties skip parliament

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Opposition parties boycotted the inaugural session of Cambodia's parliament Saturday, demanding the prime minister step down. The parliament's 73 members of Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party attended the swearing-in ceremony. But the new 123-seat National Assembly will not be able to function, or confirm Hun Sen's new government, without at least 87 members.

It was not immediately clear whether the parties will now try to negotiate a deal with the government or prevent the parliament from operating altogether.

The royalist Funcinpec party and the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, which won a combined 50 seats, have refused to join a coalition government led by Hun Sen and have demanded the prime minister resign.

The parties charge Hun Sen's party rigged the July 27 elections, which international observers said were largely fair and free. They also say his government is corrupt and has done a bad job of running Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in the world.

King Norodom Sihanouk, who is required under the constitution to convene the legislature 60 days after an election, refused to oversee Saturday's ceremony because of the political bickering.

The king had rejected earlier proposals by Funcinpec and the Sam Rainsy Party that he receive all three parties in the palace to discuss possible solutions to the political deadlock.

But in an apparent gesture to ease the tension among the parties, Sihanouk on Saturday afternoon offered to preside over a swearing-in ceremony and banquet for the newly elected members of parliament at the Royal Palace next week even if some parties do not attend.

The king assigned the president of the CPP, Chea Sim, to take his place at Saturday.

Chea Sim wore a ring of jasmine flowers around his neck and walked down a red carpet as a military band played at the ceremony, which started nearly an hour late and lasted just 15 minutes.

Forming a new government "is an immediate task of all lawmakers in their new term," he said.

"Our national dignity and prestige are resting in the hands of the new National Assembly which must race against time to create a new government ... as quickly as possible," he added.

Y Chhean, a former Khmer Rouge division commander, was among the 73 CPP members who attended.

He becomes the highest-ranking former official from the radical communist group to join the Cambodian legislature since the movement was ousted from power in 1979. The Khmer Rouge collapsed in 1999 following the death of its leader, Pol Pot, in 1998.

Hun Sen, who also attended the ceremony, left without speaking to reporters.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Sam Rainsy held a mock ceremony at his party headquarters, calling out the names of 24 lawmakers from his party who won seats.