A Political Comeback of the Lon Nol Clan?

“whether I think he is a promising politician or a lame duck one, I welcome him to the political arena and wish him all the best and good luck in the upcoming election. I hope he can restore the name of his father and prove his critics, the likes of me, wrong. Good luck!”

Editorial by Khmerization:- Lon Rith‘s not so triumphant return to Cambodia on the 20th of April has spiced up the Cambodian political landscape and further complicated the Cambodian political jigsaw. With over 57 registered political parties in the electoral rolls already, Lon Rith’s new Khmer Republican Party has surely added headaches to the already confused minds of the Cambodian voters (read the report of his return here).
Lon Rith, the son of the Khmer Republic regime President Lon Nol, has no political experience and attained very little education, both in Khmer and in English. As a political novice and untested politician, his entrance to the political boxing ring, would not stir up any interests from the public and media, if it wasn’t for the name of his republican father. Whether his political venture would see the return of the once revered, and sometimes reviled, regime presided over by his not so politically astute father, remains to be seen. To many seasoned political observers, the chance is a distant possibility.
News coming out of Long Beach, California, is not so promising for his would-be followers and, to a large degree, not so assuring for his political venture. People who knew him described him as a drunkard and a high school drop out who likes to hang out with his other alcoholic friends. Coupled with his taste of flamboyant and playboy lifestyle, as seen in the pictures, he is seen as not a serious politician but rather as another amateurish and opportunistic politician who is trying to cash out on his father’s legacy.
As a son of a once devout Buddhist leader, one would hope that he would adhere to his father’s strong anti-Communist ideas and would not use his newly created Khmer Republican Party as a stepping stone to join Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party by following the footsteps of his father‘s ex-colleagues the likes of Sek Sam Iet and Chhang Song etc.. Winning or losing the upcoming 27th July election, one would hope that he will not betray his father’s ideals by joining the Communists.
As he is from the democratic camp, and I presumed him to be a fierce anti-Communist like me, whether I think he is a promising politician or a lame duck one, I welcome him to the political arena and wish him all the best and good luck in the upcoming election. I hope he can restore the name of his father and prove his critics, the likes of me, wrong. Good luck!