Statement by Sam Rainsy, member of the Nonviolent Radical Party Transnational Transparty and honorary member of the Global Committee for the Rule of Law “Marco Pannella”, on his decision to return to the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) as an ordinary member.
Today, 15 November 2017, from Washington DC, I proclaim that I have decided to return to the CNRP as an ordinary member, effective today, regardless of the CPP-led authorities’ decision to dissolve or not to dissolve the CNRP.
Scenario #1: They dissolve the CNRP.
On 11 February 2017 I resigned from the CNRP under duress, in order to prevent the dissolution of my party on the basis of newly adopted amendments to the law on political parties, which especially target me. Since the CPP-led authorities have decided to dissolve the CNRP anyway, I can now consistently return to this party, knowing that the CNRP is dissolved only on paper by an authoritarian and silly government that doesn’t care any longer about any façade of democracy. The CNRP actually continues to exist and remain vibrant in the minds and hearts of the Cambodian people and in the eyes of the international community which continues to consider the CNRP elected National Assembly members as lawful Members of Parliament, who in turn preserve the legitimacy of their party.
Scenario #2: They don’t dissolve the CNRP.
The fact that the CPP-led authorities don’t dare to dissolve the CNRP now in spite of their very serious accusation of “national treason” against this party and its leaders and in spite of the many other tricks they have used in their failed attempt to dissolve the CNRP, shows that my being member of the CNRP doesn’t matter any more and their stupid laws targeting me have become useless.
Therefore, in any case, I ask everybody to take note that I have come back to the CNRP as an ordinary member, effective today.
Sam Rainsy