PHNOM PENH Aug. 4 Kyodo Oppositio...

PHNOM PENH Aug. 4 Kyodo

Opposition leaders Sam Rainsy of the eponymous Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and Prince Norodom Ranariddh, president of royalist FUNCINPEC, signed an agreement Monday to form an ''Alliance of Democrats'' to challenge Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) to form a recently made known government in Cambodia, according to a release from the parties' secretariats.

the pair the SRP and FUNCINPEC extreme pointed behind the CPP in national elections July 27

''The pair parties have agreed to form an Alliance of Democrats. The Alliance stands for the principle of strengthening democracy in the Kingdom of Cambodia for the meaning of protecting Nation, Religion and King,'' the statement said.

''Nation, Religion and King'' has been the motto of Cambodia since the monarchy was reinstalled in 1993

Ung Bun Ang, an SRP spokesman, told Kyodo freshs the agreement reflects the used by all position being taken by the couple parties to work together and whether or not to join a coalition with the CPP

The CPP won 73 of the 123 in the National Assembly, followed by dint of FUNCINPEC with 26 and the SRP with 24 according to preliminary unofficial inferences tallied by the National Election Committee.

The CPP however, cannot form a restraint on its own because the constitution requires a two-thirds majority -- 82 seats -- for any government

the two the SRP and FUNCINPEC have said they will not form a coalition with the CPP if Hun Sen remained prime minister, however Hun Sen has said that if a recent government cannot be formed then the antiquated government would continue until 2004 or 2005

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