Opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party may split

Ruling party suspected of fueling rivalries to gain an electoral edge

ATSUSHI TOMIYAMA, Nikkei staff writer

HANOI -- The Cambodia National Rescue Party is in danger of fracturing, as Prime Minister Hun Sen maneuvers to weaken the main opposition party ahead of a general election in 2018. CNRP Vice President Kem Sokha received a royal pardon on Dec. 2 last year, voiding a five-month jail sentence. The opposition leader has since made a series of remarks favorable to Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodia People's Party.

Immediately after the pardon, Kem Sokha said in a statement, "To be honest, the prime minister and I have the same vision and values for the future of our nation, for national unity in the future." Kem Sokha was sentenced to prison for ignoring court orders to appear as a witness in connection with an alleged love affair he had with a hairdresser. The CPP had pursued strong legal action against Kem Sokha and was poised to have the acting leader of the CNRP arrested. He had been holed up his party's headquarters in Phnom Penh for nearly six months, starting in May of last year, to avoid the police.

The sudden pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni has aroused suspicions about the relationship between the ruling party and Kem Sokha. One man who supports the CNRP claimed the opposition leader "probably concluded a secret agreement with Hun Sen."

Pro-government news media that had been digging into Kem Sokha's alleged sex scandal now praise him as an important leader of the opposition.

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