Funcinpec welcomes its former defectors with open arms

07-09-2007
By Leang Delux
Cambodge Soir
Translated from French by Luc Sâr

The fight for influence among the royalist supporters by the two royalist parties gave the opportunity to Funcinpec to show its attraction might during a public reconciliation ceremony.

Funcinpec organized a welcome ceremony in honor of the return of its former comrades, under the presence of Prince Sisowath Sirirath, first party vice-president, and Lu Lay Sreng, the second party vice-president.

These dissidents jumped from the Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP). A dozen of these repentant defectors were NRP officials from various cities and provinces, and members of the NRP permanent committee and party directors: Kim Vien, Sam Sun Doeun, Bin Heng Pol, etc…

Kim Vien, the representative of the new members during the ceremony, explained the reason of their return to Funcinpec which “undertook a deep reform which pleases us.” He also ridiculed Prince Ranariddh. “Prince Norodom Ranariddh did not apply the principles which we wrote together in Malaysia,” Kim Vien revealed. Malaysia was the location where the NRP founders discussed about the creation of this new party, as well as its political policy.

Lu Lay Sreng, while welcoming the return of his colleagues from “the old House,” called on the NRP members to come along with him “to restart the work within the Funcinpec.”

Funcinpec invites Ranariddh to take over the party presidency

03-09-2007
By Leang Delux
Cambodge Soir
Translated from French by Luc Sâr

The Funcinpec is reiterating its invitations to Prince Norodom Ranariddh to take back the party leadership.

Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec secretary-general, affirmed on Monday 03 September that Prince Norodom Ranariddh was invited to take back the party leadership. However, the prince does not seem willing to come back. Even though the Funcinpec door is open to him, he will have to accept new conditions.

Nhiek Bun Chhay explained that two main points set the condition for the return of the prince. First, he must accept the election of the party president once every five years. Second, the party permanent committee consisting of 13 members will make the decision for the party. “However, the prince does not want this. He proposed the same Funcinpec structure which existed prior to last 18 October, i.e., the president is historical, and he possesses a special decision right. How can we proceed in this manner and still call ourselves democrats? I don’t know what else to do,” Nhiek Bun Chhay said with exasperation, before indicating that Keo Puth Rasmey, the current party president had accepted to become a vice-president, should the prince return.

The prince’s position is clear. In his communiqué, he affirmed that the Funcinpec leadership took advantage of his return, and he indicated that he would not return back to Funcinpec, whatever the conditions will be. “I want to precise that I, Norodom Ranariddh, will never return back to lead the Funcinpec which was born out of the illegal congress of last 18 October, organized by Nhiek Bun Chhay,” the prince wrote in his communiqué made public on 27 August. For Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, the Funcinpec is insisting with the prince because his presence is necessary to attract the voters. That was what the results of the last commune elections proved.

Discord still reigns among the two parties, Funcinpec and NRP, which are turning into brother-enemies. The movement of the dissidents and defectors had been published by the news media. Besides two former members of the NRP permanent committee, Ok Socheat and Serey Kosal, who declared that they were returning to Funcinpec, Prince Chakrapong is now at the service of King-Father. “I now serve King-Father, I am not making any comment,” the prince, a former NRP vice-president, claimed. Kim Vien, a former member of the NRP permanent committee who recently announced his departure from NRP, is currently negotiating with Funcinpec leadership about his position before deciding to join this party. Even though, Nov Sovathero said that he ignored the negotiation, Kim Vien said that he submitted 4 conditions to the Funcinpec. “I will rejoin the Funcinpec if the party leadership accepts in principle my 4 conditions, such as the independence in the government partnership. I am speaking in my name only. I don’t know what the other dissidents will do,” Kim Vien noted. He indicated that about a dozen of the permanent committee had left the NRP.