The European Union (EU), on Thursday, declared that the dissolution of the opposition party CNRP by the Supreme Court was unconstitutional. In contrast, the EU asked the Cambodian government to restore the situation in which the CNRP and its supporters could freely carry out their activities.
"A situation in which all parties, including the CNRP, their leaders and their supporters are able to carry out freely their legitimate functions, must be swiftly restored," read the EU's statement issued on Thursday.
The statement also repeated what the US Government previously said that the dissolution of the CNRP disenfranchised the Cambodian people who chose to vote for the CNRP in 2013 and 2017.
"The enforced dissolution of the CNRP effectively disenfranchises all those who gave the party their support in the elections in 2013 and 2017," the statement added.
To the EU, the upcoming general election in Cambodia in July 2018 would not be legitimate if the CNRP, the biggest opposition party in the country, could not participate in this election.
The EU added that since the CNRP won 44.5 percent of the vote in the legislative election in 2013, and 43.8 percent in the 2017 commune election, the Cambodian government took a series of action against the CNRP. And the Supreme Court's decision on November 16 to dissolve the CNRP was "a significant step away from the path of pluralism and democracy enshrined in the Cambodia's constitution" that the EU has supported for more than two decades.
However, the EU repeated once more its message that the Kingdom of Cambodia could export its products to the EU's market with low tax or nontax only if human rights are respected in the country. If not, the cooperation between the two governments could be suspended anytime.
"The European Union has repeatedly passed these messages to the Cambodian authorities, including today. Respect of fundamental human rights is a prerequisite for Cambodia to continue to benefit from the EU's preferential Everything But Arms scheme," read the statement.
In the same way, the US Government also issued a statement on Thursday asking the Cambodian government to «UNDO» the dissolution of the CNRP, to release Mr. Kem Sokha, CNRP's president, and to restore the situation in which civil society and media could freely function.
"We call on the Royal Government of Cambodia to undo its recent actions against the CNRP, release imprisoned CNRP leader Kem Sokha, and allow opposition parties, civil society, and the media to maintain their legitimate activities," read the US statement.
The statement added that the US Government would take concrete measures to respond to the Cambodian government's "regrettable" actions. As the first step, the US Government would stop all their support to the Cambodian National Election Committee (NEC). As a result, the upcoming general election in July 2018 would not considered by the US Government as legitimate if the current situation in Cambodia would not be changed.
The White House's statement also said that the dissolution of the CNRP and the ban of its 118 official from politics have set back Cambodia's democratic development, and placed economic growth and international support at risk.
The dissolution of the CNRP was based on a complaint filed last month by the Ministry of Interior, accusing the CNRP for the attempt to overthrow the current government by inciting Cambodian people to a «colour revolution» backed by the United States.
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