(VOVworld) – The leader of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), Prime Minister Hun Sen and the President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) Sam Rainsy met on Monday to seek a way to réolve the current political stalemate. Although the results of their talks were modest, differences have been narrowed and this could bring Cambodia back to normal after 6 weeks of instability since the July 28 parliamentary election.

Unlike a previous meeting that lasted only 30 minutes, this meeting lasted 5 hours at the Parliament building. The two agreed on King Norodom Sihamoni’s request to prevent a recurrence of violence and establish a joint committee to discuss future electoral reform. They also agreed to meet again to settle other post-election issues. Although no specific plan was set, observers says the CPP gained an advantage as none of the CNRP’s requests was met. Earlier, although the public and authorized agencies recognized the victory of the CPP, the CNRP rejected the result and demanded an independent investigation into voting irregularities.

On Tuesday, the second day of a 3-day protest initiated by the CNRP, CNRP supporters began to withdraw from Freedom Square tired and frustrated. The number of protestors has fallen from 20,000 to 1,000 and is expected to wane even more. This suggests that Cambodia is getting back to normal because the protestors have been unable to get their demands met. 1 person died and 5 others were injured when protestors clashed with police, who had to use tear gas to disperse the crowd on Sunday.

Analysts say that after nearly 3 decades of ruling, Hun Sen and the CPP are facing a tough political challenge, losing many parliament seats to the CNRP. This would make it difficult to establish a new government. But Hun Sen still has the advantage as he remains in control of the state apparatus and security forces. In addition, he has experience recruiting people form opposition parties. He will likely try to use this experience to establish a new government without negotiating with the CNRP. It is thought that Hun Sen is planning an attack on Sam Rainsy, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison for political reasons. This, would probably be Hun Sen’s last resort because it would harm his image as a moderate leader, which he has been promoting in recent years. Prior to the election, Hun Sen arranged a royal pardon for Rainsy so he could return to Cambodia, making Hun Sen a democratic leader in the eyes of Cambodian voters.

Cambodians placed their trust in the hands of the man who rid the country of the genocidal Khmer rouge regime and election results in 1998, 2003 and 2008 proved they were right. During Cambodia’s most difficult years, Hun Sen played an important role in national development and stability. His comprehensive strategy focuses on political stability, foreign aid and investment and job creation towards peace and prosperity.

Observers expect a long negotiation process between the CPP and the CNRP. However, as the two parties have agreed to prevent the recurrence of violence, this will be a precondition for Cambodia to establish a united government and restore stability.