Four lawyers from the Ministry of Interior filed additional evidence against the opposition CNRP at the Supreme Court yesterday, including a list of 117 politicians to be banned from politics if the party is dissolved.
Ky Tech, one of the four lawyers representing the ministry, told reporters that three new pieces of evidence were submitted.
The Cambodia National Rescue Party is facing possible dissolution at a hearing on Thursday under the controversial Law on Political Parties after party President Kem Sokha and other senior leaders were accused of colluding with the US to topple the government.
A widely criticised round of amendments to the law, forced through by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party earlier this year, banned convicted criminals from associating with the party.
Recent examples of former party President Sam Rainsy – who has a host of politically tinged convictions to his name – associating with the CNRP were added to the evidence yesterday, as was purported evidence of Sokha’s daughter, Kem Monovithya, speaking about receiving foreign support.
“We have filed a lot of strong evidence,” Tech said, adding that the CNRP will be dissolved “100 percent”.
Monovithya yesterday said that as the head of international relations for the CNRP, she communicated with foreign governments as part of her job, adding that the government was “further making a fool of themselves” with the new charges.
Meanwhile, Yoeurng Sotheara, legal expert at election watchdog Comfrel, said that the law doesn’t actually give the government authority to ban people from politics, but only to suspend parties themselves for five years.
