Nat'l Assembly Strips Ranariddh of Title, Immunity
By Yun Samean
The Cambodia Daily
The National Assembly has stripped Prince Norodom Ranariddh of his position as a Funcinpec lawmaker, in a move that also deprives him of his parliamentary immunity. His Tuesday removal came the same day that the Senate stripped Prince Norodom Chakrapong of his position as a Funcinpec senator. National Assembly and CPP Honorary President Heng Samrin read out a statement from Funcinpec announcing Prince Ranariddh's removal on the floor of Parliament Tuesday. There was no discussion or vote on the move. Funcinpec's Matt Salyma replaced Prince Ranariddh as a lawmaker. Chhim Seak Leng was also stripped of his lawmaker position and replaced by Funcinpec's Soth Sothon. The Norodom Ranariddh Party cabinet issued a statement Tuesday claiming that the removal of the three officials was antidemocratic and unconstitutional. "It is very unjust People voted for the prince to be a lawmaker. This is contrary to the democratic principle," Prince Ranariddh's public aflairs adviser Ok Socheat said by telephone. But Funcinpec spokesman Nouv Sovathero said that since Chhim Seak Leng and Prince Ranariddh have formed a new party, they can no longer hold onto their positions in Funcinpec. "This is just to fill the vacancies," he said of their replacement. Chhim Seak Leng and Prince Chakrapong could not be reached for comment.
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