Cambodian opposition leader temporarily leaves refuge

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodia’s acting opposition leader briefly left the party headquarters where he took refuge from arrest four months ago and was able to register to vote in next year’s elections without incident Wednesday.

His move followed several other signs of an easing of the feuding between the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party. After Prime Minister Hun Sen offered some conciliatory messages, the opposition agreed to end a boycott of parliament that it instituted after legal harassment of its lawmakers.

Kem Sokha was recently sentenced to six months in prison for refusing to honour a court summons to testify in connection with a sex scandal in which he is involved. He contends the legal actions are part of a government plot to cripple the opposition party. His lawyers filed an appeal Wednesday against his conviction.

He is the party’s acting leader because party president Sam Rainsy is in self-imposed exile to avoid serving a prison term on a defamation charge he contests.