Prince Norodom Ranariddh, son of retired Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk and former FUNCINPEC leader, speaks during the launch of a new political party called 'Norodom Ranariddh Party' in Phnom Penh November 16, 2006. Ranariddh said on Monday he had returned to fight a legal battle against his expulsion from the royalist party he headed, but did not expect to win, and get his new party registered. REUTERS/Chor SokuntheaRanariddh: 'Now, I am the opposition party'
By Vong Sokheng
Phnom Penh Post, Issue 15 / 23, November 17 - 30, 2006
To cries of "Chayo!, Chayo!" by several hundred faithful, the Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) arose from the ashes of the little-known Khmer Front Party (KFP) on November 16, at House 79, Street 313, Toul Kok district, Phnom Penh.
The event was an extraordinary congress of the KFP held to dissolve the party and see it reborn as the NRP, with Prince Norodom Ranariddh, recently ousted from Funcinpec, as its first president.
"I have no choice but to accept the proposal of the front, in conformity with the law on political parties," Ranariddh said, and told the congress that the Ministry of Interior (MoI) was obstructing the new party's registration.
Khieu Sopheak, MoI spokesman, told the Post on November 16 the ministry will examine the Law on Political Parties about the legality of the formation of the NRP.
"The Norodom Ranariddh Party has not yet registered with MoI, and we need to look into the Law on Political Parties to see what is the legal procedure necessary to allow the party," Sopheak said.
Koul Panha, executive director of the local election monitoring NGO the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel) said that changing the name of a political party already registered was not a problem.
He said the party had dissolved itself by its congress and established its new status and needed only to notify the MoI.
Ranariddh was ousted from the presidency of Funcinpec on October 18. The move came after a volley of statements from Prime Minister Hun Sen, accusing Ranariddh of having appointed unqualified individuals to political positions, and declaring that Ranariddh's mistress, Ouk Phalla, was a moral embarrassment.
After his removal from Funcinpec's presidency, an indignant Ranariddh announced that he would form a new party. Funcipec has not expelled him and he remains nominally a Funcinpec member of the National Assembly, pending the Ministry of Interior's recognition of his new party.
He resigned as President of the National Assembly on March 14, 2006 and left Cambodia for several months. While he was away he was dismissed as co-chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) and chairman of the National Olympic Committee.
Ranariddh, who arrived back in Cambodia on November 11, said that from now on he will spend several months in the field visiting his grassroots supporters in the run-up to the commune council elections, scheduled for April 1, 2007.
"We do have grassroots, we do have local structures, and I will have no problem transforming the Norodom Ranariddh Party into a very powerful party," Ranariddh said. "Our grassroots are very powerful. When people talk about Funcinpec they talk about Ranariddh, not Nhiek Bun Chhay, because Ranariddh is well known at the grassroots."
Ranariddh said his new party will not merge with others, but it is ready to form an alliance with others that share its ideas.
He said the political geography in Cambodia has changed dramatically: before, it used to have a majority composed of the Cambodian People's Party and Funcinpec led by Ranariddh, with the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) in opposition.
Now, he said, the majority is composed of the CPP, Bun Chhay's Funcinpec, and the SRP.
"Now, I am the opposition party," Ranariddh said.
He said he no longer has a relationship with the CPP's Hun Sen.
Ranariddh said he did not regret having shared power with the CPP as First Prime Minister after Funcinpec's victory in the 1993 elections sponsored by UNTAC - a position from which he was violently removed in July 1997.
Since that bloody day, Funcinpec has continually faltered, with repeated declines in the number of National Assembly seats won in national elections in 1998 and 2003, and a substantial thrashing in commune council elections in 2004.
"Whether my popularity is still strong or not, you will see the result of the commune election," Ranariddh said. "I do not need to restore my popularity because every time I go into the field my grassroots are dedicated and entirely loyal to me."
"I do not expect to cooperate with the CPP because I think that... I do not regret it ... but I think my three experiences [the 1993, 1998, and 2003 governments] have been very bitter, and not only for me but also the country as well. I am confident that I will have a good result [in future elections]," Ranariddh said.
Khieu Kanharith, spokesman for both the CPP and the government, could not be contacted before press deadline.
Comfrel's Panha said he agreed with Ranariddh that his grassroots supporters remain strong, but said the prince must work hard with a real political commitment to strengthen the grassroots infrastructures.
"I think that not only do the grassroots still support Ranariddh but there are also Funcinpec officials who have seats in the government who are waiting to see his commitment, and they will reveal themselves ahead of national elections," Panha said.
Ranariddh told congress participants that the NRP will bring a new culture of justice and real democracy as his party will adopt the Singapore model.
"Our party is determined to protect the constitutional monarchy, and progress and liberty. Today is born our new culture ...the culture of justice"
In a statement issued on November 14, a Funcinpec spokesman accused the NRP of being republican because of the party's declared intention to change the country's motto from Nation, Religion, King, to become Liberty, Democracy and Territorial Sovereignty.
The event was an extraordinary congress of the KFP held to dissolve the party and see it reborn as the NRP, with Prince Norodom Ranariddh, recently ousted from Funcinpec, as its first president.
"I have no choice but to accept the proposal of the front, in conformity with the law on political parties," Ranariddh said, and told the congress that the Ministry of Interior (MoI) was obstructing the new party's registration.
Khieu Sopheak, MoI spokesman, told the Post on November 16 the ministry will examine the Law on Political Parties about the legality of the formation of the NRP.
"The Norodom Ranariddh Party has not yet registered with MoI, and we need to look into the Law on Political Parties to see what is the legal procedure necessary to allow the party," Sopheak said.
Koul Panha, executive director of the local election monitoring NGO the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel) said that changing the name of a political party already registered was not a problem.
He said the party had dissolved itself by its congress and established its new status and needed only to notify the MoI.
Ranariddh was ousted from the presidency of Funcinpec on October 18. The move came after a volley of statements from Prime Minister Hun Sen, accusing Ranariddh of having appointed unqualified individuals to political positions, and declaring that Ranariddh's mistress, Ouk Phalla, was a moral embarrassment.
After his removal from Funcinpec's presidency, an indignant Ranariddh announced that he would form a new party. Funcipec has not expelled him and he remains nominally a Funcinpec member of the National Assembly, pending the Ministry of Interior's recognition of his new party.
He resigned as President of the National Assembly on March 14, 2006 and left Cambodia for several months. While he was away he was dismissed as co-chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) and chairman of the National Olympic Committee.
Ranariddh, who arrived back in Cambodia on November 11, said that from now on he will spend several months in the field visiting his grassroots supporters in the run-up to the commune council elections, scheduled for April 1, 2007.
"We do have grassroots, we do have local structures, and I will have no problem transforming the Norodom Ranariddh Party into a very powerful party," Ranariddh said. "Our grassroots are very powerful. When people talk about Funcinpec they talk about Ranariddh, not Nhiek Bun Chhay, because Ranariddh is well known at the grassroots."
Ranariddh said his new party will not merge with others, but it is ready to form an alliance with others that share its ideas.
He said the political geography in Cambodia has changed dramatically: before, it used to have a majority composed of the Cambodian People's Party and Funcinpec led by Ranariddh, with the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) in opposition.
Now, he said, the majority is composed of the CPP, Bun Chhay's Funcinpec, and the SRP.
"Now, I am the opposition party," Ranariddh said.
He said he no longer has a relationship with the CPP's Hun Sen.
Ranariddh said he did not regret having shared power with the CPP as First Prime Minister after Funcinpec's victory in the 1993 elections sponsored by UNTAC - a position from which he was violently removed in July 1997.
Since that bloody day, Funcinpec has continually faltered, with repeated declines in the number of National Assembly seats won in national elections in 1998 and 2003, and a substantial thrashing in commune council elections in 2004.
"Whether my popularity is still strong or not, you will see the result of the commune election," Ranariddh said. "I do not need to restore my popularity because every time I go into the field my grassroots are dedicated and entirely loyal to me."
"I do not expect to cooperate with the CPP because I think that... I do not regret it ... but I think my three experiences [the 1993, 1998, and 2003 governments] have been very bitter, and not only for me but also the country as well. I am confident that I will have a good result [in future elections]," Ranariddh said.
Khieu Kanharith, spokesman for both the CPP and the government, could not be contacted before press deadline.
Comfrel's Panha said he agreed with Ranariddh that his grassroots supporters remain strong, but said the prince must work hard with a real political commitment to strengthen the grassroots infrastructures.
"I think that not only do the grassroots still support Ranariddh but there are also Funcinpec officials who have seats in the government who are waiting to see his commitment, and they will reveal themselves ahead of national elections," Panha said.
Ranariddh told congress participants that the NRP will bring a new culture of justice and real democracy as his party will adopt the Singapore model.
"Our party is determined to protect the constitutional monarchy, and progress and liberty. Today is born our new culture ...the culture of justice"
In a statement issued on November 14, a Funcinpec spokesman accused the NRP of being republican because of the party's declared intention to change the country's motto from Nation, Religion, King, to become Liberty, Democracy and Territorial Sovereignty.
5 comments:
Yes, there are many parties claiming to be oppositions in Cambodia. But very few voters know what they oppose to.
SiS
Prince Ranariddh is a bad loser. He'll get nowhere in Khmer politics.
Thomico.
Hun sen will be assasssinated by his bodyguard....that bodyguard will be considered as a hero and we must protect him for the liberation of our country from the traitor
AT LEAST RANNARIDH COME BACK COULD TAKE SOME VOTERS OUT OF THAT PUPPET NEO-FUNCIPEC. THEY ARE ANY BETTER THAN RANNARIDH, THAT KEO PUTH RASMEY IS A NEW TAPEWORM WHO WILL BE VERY HUNGRY FOR DOLLARS, THEY ARE ALL BAD GUYS, KEO PUTH RASMEY, HIS CROOK WIFE "ARUN" , NHEK BUN CHHAY AND PRETEND TO BE A GOOD PEOPLE, THEY ARE ALL OPPORTUNIST TO TAKE ADVANTAGE FOR THEIR OWN GAIN. I DONT LIKE RANNARIDH MYSELF BUT TO SUPPORT THAT NEW FUNCIPEC IS A STUPID WAY BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL CROOK, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW MUC ABOUT KEO PUTH RASMEY READ THE FOLOOWING:
STORY ABOUT KEO PUTH RASMEY :He came to this position with the help of his sister"Mo" and his wife(princess Arun). "Mo" used to be Tep Khunnah's wife in the old days. Tep Khunnah a restaurant owner in Paris slept with BOTH of Keo Puth Rasmey's sisters(Incest, Sic!). Tep khunnah died of cancer, "MO" married a Canadian man then divorced and moved on to marry Hong sun Huot a senior minister in Funcinpec. "MO" is very opportunist and a big time ass kisser, she kissed both CPP's first lady BUNRANNY and Funcinpec's MARY. MARY asked MO to take revenge on Rannaridh for abandoning her and MO saw this golden opportunity to put her brother Keo puth Rasmey up. MO has BUNRANNY as her backbone to control and command all Funcinpec's Dogs to elect Keo puth rasmey. Plus with the help from Mary ofcourse a combination with 2 punches. Rasmey is nothin' but another corrupted gonnabe to take opportunity to pocket dollars like Rannaridh did. Worst than Ranaridh this dog will take 120 percent order from Hun Sen, Y'all will see if you dont believe me. Unlike Ung Huot this dog has a strong backbone because of his sister closeness to Hun sen family. Watch you will see that the way it's going to be....
In this case, we cann't blame anyone beside Ranariddh himself. He must know clearly his role and duty: what should he do as historic president of a party, president of the national assembly or future prime minister?? But what he has done is beyond patience of cambodian people: his own corruption and his associates' corruption without control in selling and buying positions, being fooled of sex in the cambodian context, here is not the west where you will be popular buying having many wives or mistresses, ignorance on vital national issues, forgetting all his words used to convince people, staying abroad most of the time, and after steping out from national assembley in the words to see reastr comes with being in malaysia for his new wife. I must say "he himself have sold himself to his political opponent and helped his opponent to mount the most power today, now his price is zero, noone wants to buy him anymore".
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