BBC 12 Jul 2013
 |
| Mr Rainsy had vowed to return to Cambodia for the elections |
Cambodia's opposition leader has received a royal pardon,
paving the way for his return from self-imposed exile for the country's
upcoming elections.
The application for the pardon was made by Prime Minister
Hun Sen, who is expected to win the 28 July polls.
Mr Rainsy, who has been living in France, was sentenced
to 11 years in jail in absentia, for charges including altering public
documents.
The opposition leader described the move as a "small
victory".
It came after Mr Rainsy wrote to Cambodian King Norodom
Sihamoni in June requesting a pardon and pledged to return to Cambodia for the
elections.
Cambodia has also come under pressure from the US to
allow Mr Rainsy to return "without fear for his personal safety or
incarceration".
On Wednesday, a number of US lawmakers said that aid to
Cambodia should be cut unless the polls were free and fair.
Hun Sen, one of the world's longest-serving prime
ministers, has been in power in various coalitions since 1985.
'Welcome back'
In an interview with AFP news agency, Mr Rainsy said:
"It is a small victory for democracy that the leader of the opposition be
allowed to be in the country during election campaigning and on election day...
much more remains to be done."
Mr Rainsy has been living in France since 2009, after he
was charged with crimes he said were politically motivated and stripped of
immunity from prosecution.
In 2010, he was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in jail
after being found guilty of manipulating a map to suggest Cambodia was losing
land to Vietnam.
King Norodom Sihamoni granted the pardon on Friday after
receiving the request from Hun Sen, reports said.
Cabinet spokesman Phay Siphan said Hun Sen had arranged
the pardon "for the sake of the country and in the spirit of national
reconciliation".
"Sam Rainsy is free now; he can come back to
Cambodia. We welcome him back."
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