Cambodia's opposition party holds rally

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

Around 5,000 opposition supporters joined the half-day rally to voice their opinions on the election results and the newly-formed government, Xinhua reported.

"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), said at the rally.

CNRP spokesman Yem Ponharith said the party collected the thumbprints of the supporters at the event.

"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 Oct 23 at the Freedom Park in order to submit the petition to the UN and signatory countries of the Paris Accord through the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Office to Cambodia, he said.

The Cambodian parliament, formed by the ruling party's 68 lawmakers, Sep 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 recognise the Hun Sen-led government, claiming that the newly-formed government was in violation of the constitution.

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