By Yun Samean and John Maloy
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
After spending much of 2006 overseas, Prince Norodom Ranariddh has kicked off the New Year with another trip abroad, his cousin Prince Sisowath Thomico said Monday.
Prince Thomico, who is in a political alliance with Prince Ranariddh, said the prince left for Malaysia on Sunday for personal reasons that he declined to specify.
Prince Ranariddh, who last returned to Cambodia from France on Dec 31, will return again Friday, the prince added.
Shortly before the prince's last departure from Cambodia on Nov 25—which he made to resign from his teaching post in France—the prince said he would devote himself fulltime to his new Norodom Ranariddh Party on his return.
NRP spokesman Muth Channtha declined to confirm whether Prince Ranariddh had left the country, but added: "Our party can handle [it] if the prince is in or out of the country—you can judge by the results."
The NRP, which was launched Nov 16, has subsequently put forward candidates for April's commune elections in at least 1,417 communes, beating Funeinpec by 10 communes, the National Election Committee announced Jan 4.
Funcinpec spokesman Nouv Sovathero said Monday that he believes the prince left this time to avoid the breach of trust lawsuit that Funcinpec filed against him over the sale of the party's headquarters in late 2005.
"This is his habit," Nouv Sovathero said.
Prince Ranariddh was scheduled to face questioning about the case at Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Friday, but this was postponed at the request of his lawyer Liv Sovanna.
Koul Panha, director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said that it is still important for the NRP that its leaders spend time in Cambodia ahead of the elections.
The NRP "need[s] the leadership to form the supporters and the organizers to run the election," he said.
Prince Thomico, who is in a political alliance with Prince Ranariddh, said the prince left for Malaysia on Sunday for personal reasons that he declined to specify.
Prince Ranariddh, who last returned to Cambodia from France on Dec 31, will return again Friday, the prince added.
Shortly before the prince's last departure from Cambodia on Nov 25—which he made to resign from his teaching post in France—the prince said he would devote himself fulltime to his new Norodom Ranariddh Party on his return.
NRP spokesman Muth Channtha declined to confirm whether Prince Ranariddh had left the country, but added: "Our party can handle [it] if the prince is in or out of the country—you can judge by the results."
The NRP, which was launched Nov 16, has subsequently put forward candidates for April's commune elections in at least 1,417 communes, beating Funeinpec by 10 communes, the National Election Committee announced Jan 4.
Funcinpec spokesman Nouv Sovathero said Monday that he believes the prince left this time to avoid the breach of trust lawsuit that Funcinpec filed against him over the sale of the party's headquarters in late 2005.
"This is his habit," Nouv Sovathero said.
Prince Ranariddh was scheduled to face questioning about the case at Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Friday, but this was postponed at the request of his lawyer Liv Sovanna.
Koul Panha, director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said that it is still important for the NRP that its leaders spend time in Cambodia ahead of the elections.
The NRP "need[s] the leadership to form the supporters and the organizers to run the election," he said.
2 comments:
Ranaridh is using Cambodia as the political play ground. He did nothing for the country only using it for his own benifit and power. No company or instition would hire an old man, 64, for a job in Europe particularly in France where people could retire at 55 due to shortage of employment. As a result, Rannaridh has no choice but to use Cambodia as a spare tire.
He smell the P
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