Monday, December 11, 2006

Ranariddh asks for a delay in the replacement of MPs

10 Dec 2006
By Mondol Keo
Radio Free Asia

Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Prince Norodom Ranariddh, the former president of Funcinpec party, had officially sent a request to the National Assembly and the National Election Committee (NEC) to temporarily delay the replacement of [Funcinpec] MPs and Senators.

Muth Chantha, Norodom Ranariddh Party’s (NRP) spokesman, said that the request was made because Funcinpec is still under litigation, and that the court case is still active. Therefore, according to the law, the current MPs and senators must remain in their position until the court has legally decided on the dispute.

Muth Chantha said: “If the court has not legally decided yet, Funcinpec does not have the right to request the removal, it’s only after the decision made by the court [that Funcinpec can do so]. As for the prince forming a new political party, it’s not different from a house where two brothers are claiming its ownership, the owner of the house is told by the court to stay outside the house for now.”

However, Nouv Sovathero, Funcinpec spokesman, explained that the reason Funcinpec asked to replace MPs, it was because Prince Ranariddh had left Funcinpec to form a new party, the NRP. Chhim Siek Leng is also becoming NRP’s secretary-general, therefore preserving the MP position of the pair would be completely illegal since the 2003 election is based on the proportional system, and if the candidate selected to represent the party lost his party membership, he also loses his parliamentary position.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Prince Ranariddh, hope you read KI, Being a strait man, no need to beg. Build yourself if possible. Leave politic if being afraid!!!

I don't see a light at all on whether you are the right man to join in leading this country. On the occasion people gave you to lead the country, you wasted most of the time to have sex, but not serve the country.