Written by Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post
Rehabilitated Prince Ranariddh was appointed the King’s most senior adviser, but the PM used a public speech to warn him not to dole out favours
PRIME Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday warned Prince Norodom Ranariddh against abusing his new position atop the King's royal council to dole out privileges to his supporters.
King Norodom Sihamoni appointed his half-brother Ranariddh as Chief of High Advisers to the King, a post equivalent in rank to that of prime minister, in a royal decree leaked last month that also gave palace council positions to 25 other members of the royal family.
While he acknowledged the ceremonial significance of Ranariddh's post, which will give him the same salary as the prime minister, the bottom line, he said, was that "it has no power".
"There are a number of people trying to be recruited to work with Ranariddh. This is wrong, but maybe the prince is not aware of it," Hun Sen added.
The prince and his camp have repeatedly denied allegations of nepotism and immediately lashed back at the Khmer-language newspaper Moneaksekar Khmer after, in an article last month, it alleged the prince had requested the prime minister provide him with a mansion in front of the Royal Palace and asked for the appointments of 200 of his supporters to the King's Cabinet.
"There is no recruitment. The prince told me to keep quiet, and he cannot guarantee anything for his supporters," Chea Chanboribo, Ranariddh's spokesman, said. "Even me, I work as his helper."
In his speech, the prime minister also took jabs at the prince for what he described as backhanded attempts to gain power.
Ranariddh was ousted from his position as co-prime minister when troops loyal to his royalist party clashed with troops loyal to Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) in 1997.
Power hungry?
"Ranariddh and Nhek Bun Chhay signed a deal with Khmer Rouge Khieu Samphan in 1997 to test the power (of the CPP), but they lost..." he said.
Ranariddh quit politics after seeing his career spiral downwards at the hand, observers say, of Hun Sen.
But he insisted his appointment had nothing to do with his decision to retire. Rather, it was the CPP's overwhelming victory in July national polls that caused him to leave the political arena.
PRIME Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday warned Prince Norodom Ranariddh against abusing his new position atop the King's royal council to dole out privileges to his supporters.
King Norodom Sihamoni appointed his half-brother Ranariddh as Chief of High Advisers to the King, a post equivalent in rank to that of prime minister, in a royal decree leaked last month that also gave palace council positions to 25 other members of the royal family.
While he acknowledged the ceremonial significance of Ranariddh's post, which will give him the same salary as the prime minister, the bottom line, he said, was that "it has no power".
"There are a number of people trying to be recruited to work with Ranariddh. This is wrong, but maybe the prince is not aware of it," Hun Sen added.
The prince and his camp have repeatedly denied allegations of nepotism and immediately lashed back at the Khmer-language newspaper Moneaksekar Khmer after, in an article last month, it alleged the prince had requested the prime minister provide him with a mansion in front of the Royal Palace and asked for the appointments of 200 of his supporters to the King's Cabinet.
"There is no recruitment. The prince told me to keep quiet, and he cannot guarantee anything for his supporters," Chea Chanboribo, Ranariddh's spokesman, said. "Even me, I work as his helper."
In his speech, the prime minister also took jabs at the prince for what he described as backhanded attempts to gain power.
Ranariddh was ousted from his position as co-prime minister when troops loyal to his royalist party clashed with troops loyal to Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) in 1997.
Power hungry?
"Ranariddh and Nhek Bun Chhay signed a deal with Khmer Rouge Khieu Samphan in 1997 to test the power (of the CPP), but they lost..." he said.
Ranariddh quit politics after seeing his career spiral downwards at the hand, observers say, of Hun Sen.
But he insisted his appointment had nothing to do with his decision to retire. Rather, it was the CPP's overwhelming victory in July national polls that caused him to leave the political arena.
5 comments:
Hey 1 Ranarith you believed that people are voted for hun xen what you want now?
Best time for you to go back to teech in Franc! Why you go to teach when you have job with us? The french must pay you SHIT!!!!
i know, what kind of leadership example is prince ranaridh setting for cambodia? go figure! everyone in the leadership position should discourage corruption, not encouraging it; and, of course, corruption is not necessarily involve money only. there are other forms of corruption as well like nepotism, favoritism, fraternization, sexual favor, reciprocationism, etc, etc..., and our prince is not doing his part o help the country by way of good self-discipline and setting up personal, princely example. i wonder why khmer people don't like certain royal members while we love other good royal members, just not the bad ones! now, tell me why should khmer people love this prince if he continue to commit crime like this corruption?
yes, khmer people are not in the dark anymore, and we can see who is doing good and who is doing bad. we can now judge for ourselves. this is call democracy. thank you.
It's disgraceful to see such an educated man lacks of wisdom and leadership integrity. His ambition to come back to revise his political career is a up-hill battle, because his creditability is shambled amongst his followers. Hun Sen will have a field day with the prince in days ahead. I am not a fan of CPP, but I admire Hun Sen of his intelligence and ability to dissolved all his rivals. The prince should stay and teach in France and should vow not to return to Cambodia.
also, don't forget to mention that when someone thinks that they are above the constitutional or general laws, that is corruption as well! thank you.
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