PHNOM PENH July 29 Kyodo Cambodia...

PHNOM PENH July 29 Kyodo

Cambodia's opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and royalist FUNCINPEC party jointly declared Tuesday that neither intends to form a coalition direction with the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) which leads in 23 of 24 constituencies controverted in Sunday's national election.

SRP leader Sam Rainsy told a joint pres meeting for consultation that his position is ''very similar to that uttered by FUNCINPEC president Prince Norodom Ranariddh -- that the Sam Rainsy Party wants a novel government with a strange prime minister.''

Prince Ranariddh, speaking Monday shortly after preliminary outcomes showed FUNCINPEC finishing third in the election, told Kyodo novels ''FUNCINPEC will not form a guidance with Hun Sen, but will be in the opposition.''

the two political parties denied state media claims that Prime Minister Hun Sen's CPP has effectively won the election, saying they wait until the National Election Committee officially delivers the catalogue of heads results.

With about 70% of voices unofficially counted, the CPP is schemeed to take 74 of the 123 seats in the National Assembly, followed on the SRP with 26 seats and FUNCINPEC with 23 seats.

The CPP would require a two-thirds majority, or 82 seats, to form a dominion on its own.

The official tally is not count uponed until early next month, although unimpaired unofficial results are likely to be released ahead of the official count

Sunday's election was essentially three-way race among the CPP the SRP and FUNCINPEC unruffled though 22 parties fielded candidates for the National Assembly.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo of the present days International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group