Funcinpec and Noradom Ranariddh parties plan to merge

Source: Radio Free Asia
Translated by Khmerization

Officials from both the Funcinpec and Norodom Ranariddh parties said they plan to merge the two parties after the municipal election which was concluded on Sunday 17th May.

Mr. Nhiek Bunchhay (pictured), Secretary-General of the Funcinpec Party, told Radio Free Asia on 16th May: "The leadership of the Funcinpec Party and the leadership of the Norodom Ranariddh Party had agreed in principle that we will merge the two parties into one single party when we participate in the 2012 commune election and the 2013 national election."

In 2006, Prince Ranariddh, president of the Funcinpec Party, was deposed from the party in an extraodinary party congress which some said was illegally convened. He and his supporters then formed a breakaway Norodom Ranariddh Party.

So far, there is no indication of what name the new merged party will be called, but some believe that the name of one of the old parties, preferably the Funcinpec Party, will be retained.