Anti-Sokha campaign hits hurdle

Srey Chamroeun talks to the media last month outside the National Assembly before filing a complaint against opposition deputy leader Kem Sokha with the ACU. Hong Menea

A demand from a group of students that the National Assembly compel CNRP acting president Kem Sokha to break his silence on recordings purportedly of him speaking to mistresses would need to be requested by lawmakers, a parliamentary official said yesterday.

The students filed two petitions with the parliament calling for Sokha to respond and have also filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Unit over promises of gifts heard in the tapes.

While the ACU has opened an investigation into the purported gifts, suspicions that the recordings were obtained through illegal wiretaps have not been investigated.

On Tuesday, the parliament’s secretary-general Leng Penglong told the students their requests had been sent to Sokha who had not replied.

Yesterday, Penglong said there was no legal basis for the National Assembly, as an institution, to force Sokha to respond.

However under Article 89 of the constitution, 12 lawmakers (10 per cent of the assembly) could propose to summon ‘‘high-ranking officials’’.

Legal expert Sok Sam Oeun said he believed Article 89 did not cover parliamentarians.

Contact authors: Lay Samean and Shaun Turton

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