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Cambodian parliament passes 2 new election laws

Xinhua, March 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

The National Assembly of Cambodia on Thursday unanimously adopted two new election laws, which aim to govern free and fair elections and to prevent post- election impasse.

All 103 lawmakers in attendance, including Prime Minister Hun Sen and Sam Rainsy, president of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), passed the election law and the law on the formation of a National Election Committee (NEC).

The laws were drafted following a July agreement reached between Hun Sen and Sam Rainsy that ended the opposition's 10- month boycott of parliament.

They will be sent to the senate for a final review before submitting to the Constitutional Council and then, King Norodom Sihamoni for promulgation.

"The laws aim at ensuring free and fair elections in the future, " CPP's lawmaker Bin Chhin said during the session.

Under the election law, in the next elections in 2018, the number of parliamentary seats will be increased to 125 from the current 123.

The electoral campaign will be reduced from 30 days to 21 days, and civil society groups and foreigners will not be allowed to round up votes for any political parties.

It also stated that any party, that wins one or more parliamentary seats in the election but boycotts the parliament when the king convenes, will be deemed to have abandoned seats. Endi