The Boycott ...

 CNRP elected representatives have written back to the King requesting to postpone the opening of the National Assembly to November 7, 2013 to solve the problems with CPP.

By JUSTINE DRENNAN — Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodian opposition supporters gathered at the royal palace Saturday and delivered a petition to the king calling on him to postpone the opening of parliament until the country's political deadlock is resolved.

Hundreds of riot police guarded the palace, outnumbering supporters of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party. The peaceful gathering ended after four representatives were allowed past a barricade to hand palace aides the petition. About 260,000 supporters signed the petition, said Mu Sochua, an opposition leader.

The opposition says it will boycott parliament's opening session Monday unless the government agrees to an independent probe of the July 28 election results. The CNRP says it was cheated out of a victory because of electoral fraud.

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From Xinhua:

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has tightened security on the eve of the new parliament's opening session scheduled on Monday as the opposition says it will boycott the session unless the ruling party agrees to an independent probe of the disputed July 28 election results.

Security forces have seen stationed along streets in the city with barbed wire barricades being used to block roads surrounding key government's buildings, the Royal Palace, and the National Assembly.

"Thousands of armed forces have been deployed to ensure security and public order because it will be the historical day for Cambodia on Monday--a new parliament and a new government for the fifth legislature will be formed," National Military Police spokesman Kheng Tito told Xinhua on Sunday.

"According to the City Hall, protests are not allowed during these days," he said, adding that military police have routinely conducted patrol and search for weapons and explosives among passengers at nights.

The country held a general election on July 28. The official results showed that the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen won 68 out of the 123 parliamentary seats, and the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) of long-time opposition leader Sam Rainsy got 55 seats.

The CNRP rejected the results, claiming serious vote fraud and demanding the formation of an independent poll probe committee, but the CPP rejected the request, saying the move was against the country's constitution and the election results were already ratified.

King Norodom Sihamoni last week invited all the 123 elected lawmakers to attend the opening session of the parliament, but Sam Rainsy announced on Friday that the CNRP would not attend the session if no appropriate solution to the alleged poll irregularities was found. He also warned another mass protest.

On Sunday morning, all the CNRP's elected lawmakers took an oath at the Angkor Wat temple in northwestern Siem Reap province, vowing not to join the parliament's opening session on Monday.

The leaders of the two parties had held two rounds of talks earlier this week, aiming at finding a way to break through the political impasse, but failed to reach any major agreement.

Hun Sen has said that his party has enough lawmakers to override any opposition parliamentary boycott and form a new government.

He said, according to the constitution, a new government would be formed by a 50 percent plus one majority, or 63 lawmakers, in the new parliament.

Editor: Zhu Ningzhu