No re-election will be conducted in Cambodia, despite the repeated calls of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), a senior official from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) , has stated.

Cheam Yeap insisted that the country’s parliament is operating as normal and argued that according to Cambodia’s laws and constitution, no re-elections will be allowed during the elected parliament’s five-year tenure.

Yeap’s remark came after CNRP Vice President Kem Sokha said that his party would only negotiate with CNRP on electoral reform.
 
Sokha added that the CNRP will not participate in the parliament until a re-election is held and the National Election Committee (NEC) is reformed.

CPP and CNRP leaders have held a number of discussions on such reform since the two parties resumed negotiations and agreed to establish a Joint-Committee on Electoral Reforms on February 18.

On March 10, they convened another meeting, but no agreement was reached. Another meeting between them is timetabled for March 17.

A political row between the CPP and CNRP has persisted since the July 2013 polls. The election results showed that the CPP won 68 parliamentary seats against the 55 seats taken by the CNRP.

Claiming serious irregularities during the poll, the CNRP refused to accept the results and demanded the establishment of an independent committee to investigate the election outcome. It has boycotted parliament and held many protests demanding for a re-election, all rejected by the CPP.-VNA