The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia Surya P. Subedi on Thursday greeted a five-point agreement reached by the two main political parties currently represented in Cambodia's Parliament to launch concrete electoral reforms.

He further welcomed the lifting of a ban on demonstration imposed on Jan. 4 after two violent protests left four protesters dead and 21 others still detained.

"I welcome the agreements reached by the Joint Committee composed of members of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) to proceed, among other things, on two concrete measures for electoral reform-- to review the voter registry and to elaborate a draft law on the financing of political parties," he said in a statement released by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Office to Cambodia.

"I hope with cautious optimism that progress toward the remaining unresolved issues would soon be made between the two parties," Subedi said.

Political row between the Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling CPP and the Sam Rainsy's opposition CNRP has persisted since the July election results showed that the CPP won 68 parliamentary seats against 55 seats for the CNRP.

Claiming serious ballot-rigging during the poll, the CNRP refused to accept the outcome and has boycotted parliament and held many protests to demand the resignation of Hun Sen and a re- election.

Hun Sen has said that he would neither step down nor call a re- vote.