You Hockry’s "rocket science" discovery: Nhiek Bun Chhay’s attack on Prince Ranariddh was for political gain

You Hocky (L) and Nhiek Bun Chhay (R) (Photos: RFA)

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Kampuchea Thmei newspaper

Translated from Khmer by Socheata

courtesy of http://ki-media.com

You Hockry, vice-president of the NRP, said that the attack on Prince Ranariddh by Nhiek Bun Chhay was done for political gain only. He indicated that the prince never betrayed the Hero-King (King-Father), everything the prince did was decided by the constitution council only.

Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec secretary-general, is constantly attacking Prince Ranariddh, and he called the prince leadership as being weak, and it led to the demise of the party popularity. Recently, in Banteay meanchey province, during a meeting with Funcinpec party activists on 18 February, Nhiek Bun Chhay told his party activists that before the 1993 election, Prince Ranariddh made an election promise that should he win the election, he would turn over power to Hero-King Norodom Sihanouk, but after the election where he indeed won, the prince kept the power for himself instead (by becoming prime minister No. 1). At the same time, Nhiek Bun Chhay accused the prince of being involved in corruption in the nomination of party officials to government positions, and at the end, the prince purchased the party’s headquarters and assigned its ownership to his name.Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, said the transfer of power to the Hero-King or not, depends on the decision of the constitution council, and there was no issue with the power transfer. Raising such issue was done with a decision by the constitution council.You Hockry said in the afternoon of 19 February that: “I don’t want to talk about anything outside the documents, beyond that, I didn’t know. I used to say, and I even wrote an open letter a few years ago, and later on, I even issued a clarification, therefore, I don’t know what to say to let the public understand it.”You Hockry added that after the election, the constitutional council did not hold a meeting yet, and on its first meeting, Prince Ranariddh asked to transfer power to King-Father for governing the country. The constitutional council decided on 14 June 1993, to: (1) provide justice for King-Father by considering null and void the 18 March 1970 coup d’état which was conducted illegally against the constitution, against the public opinion, and it considered King-Father as the legal state leader from 1970 on; (2) give the full power and all the special power to King-Father in his duty as state leader so that he has the full ability to salvage the Nation, and lead the country to prosperity, just like under the Sangkum Reastr Niyum era.Therefore further decisions were for King-Father to make. You Hockry indicated that after the agreement on the constitution, everybody took the decision to present the case to the Hero-king in Pyongyang, North Korea, and the trip included the participation of the CPP, Funcinpec, and the Son Sann party. You Hockry said that he did not know the final outcome, only that Hero-King Norodom Sihanouk decided to adopt the monarchy, that is he reigns but he does not rule.You Hockry indicated also that, until now, whether to transfer power to King-Father or not, it is too late already. He said that the perpetual attack on the prince was done for political gain only, and he does not trust it too much because Nhiek Bun Chhay lied to him so many times already.