Friday Women activists who have long protested for the release of their political-prisoner husbands recalled the efforts of a recently deceased member, Som Chanthou.
The Council of Ministers decided to hand over land owned by the Foreign Ministry and occupied by a senior opposition official to the National Election Committee, which said it was facing space constraints at its current headquarters.
The Finance Ministry has been given a sixfold increase in its budget this year that was explained broadly in state documents as a reallocation of unclassified spending, raising concerns over a lack of transparency in national expenditures.
Local-level Candlelight officials say they face regular harassment and discrimination, and are disappointed to see the party’s leaders shirk away from it and instead embrace the ruling party.
Candlelight Party vice president Son Chhay believes the party’s top committee “will not hesitate” to issue an apology to the ruling CPP in the face of angry threats from Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Hun Sen told the Candlelight Party to apologize and stop issuing statements that the ruling CPP threatens it — or face legal action.
The under-pressure Candlelight Party said on Wednesday it would rely on foreign countries to promote fair elections in Cambodia, and it did not consider public demonstrations to be beneficial.
A Phnom Penh court convicted an exiled political commentator for defamation and incitement for comments he made about murdered analyst Kem Ley, and sent two other related cases for further investigation.
The Candlelight Party said it wants to negotiate with the government to ensure the release of its vice president Thach Setha, who was arrested in a check bouncing case in which the plaintiff has close ties to the ruling party.
The primary opposition Candlelight Party said it would consider not contesting the upcoming July national election if the political threats and use of the courts against its senior leaders and members persisted.
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