Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni (C, front) leaves the National Assembly in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Sept. 5, 2018. Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni presided over the opening of the new National Assembly on Wednesday after a recent general election that handed a landslide victory to incumbent Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen's party.(Xinhua/Sovannara)
PHNOM PENH, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni presided over the opening of the new National Assembly on Wednesday after a recent general election that handed a landslide victory to incumbent Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen's party.
The prime minister's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) won all 125 parliamentary seats in the sixth general election on July 29.
All the lawmakers-elect were present at the opening session, and foreign ambassadors and international organization representatives to the kingdom were also invited for the historic event.
Addressing the opening session, Sihamoni expressed his warmest congratulations to all members of the National Assembly, who were newly elected by the wills and trust of the people in the general election.
The monarch had strong conviction that the National Assembly would continue fulfilling its duty as stipulated in the constitution in order to ensure political, socio-economic and cultural sustainability and to build a firm and modernized kingdom based on laws.
He said it was essential "to ensure that all citizens are equal before the law, while their rights and freedoms are protected and uplifted."
The king also encouraged the lawmakers-elect to spend more vigorous efforts on helping people to enjoy equal access to religious belief, education and decent jobs.
He also had firm belief that the government in the new mandate would fulfil its duty in consistency with its political platform in beefing up economic growth, elevating the livelihoods of the people, and expanding social protection system for all citizens.
"To achieve this supreme duty, our nation must stand united and show strong national solidarity based on the spirit of national unity," Sihamoni said.
After the opening session, the monarch posed for photos with all lawmakers-elect in front of the National Assembly before returning to the Royal Palace.
According to official schedules, all the lawmakers-elect are expected to take an oath of allegiance at the Royal Palace on Wednesday afternoon.
And on Thursday, the National Assembly is due to vote for its leadership and then give a vote of confidence to the new government.
Hun Sen will continue to lead the government for another five years through the election victory.
Some Western countries, particularly the United States, have decried the election and questioned the legitimacy of the new parliament and government, citing the now-dissolved main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party was banned from contesting in the election.
However, experts say that the legitimacy of the new parliament and government depended on the country's king and the Cambodian people's satisfaction.
"The legitimacy of the new parliament and government relies on their performance and people's satisfaction," Chheang Vannarith, vice-chairman of the Cambodian Institute for Strategic Studies, told Xinhua.
"No country can lend legitimacy to Cambodia besides the Cambodian people," he said.
