Royalists to reunite without prince [The split in Norodom Ranariddh Party is the work of Hun Sen again]

Nhiek Bun Chhay, Executive President of royalist Funcinpec Party.

PHNOM PENH (Cambodia Herald) - The royalist Funcinpec and Norodom Ranariddh parties will reunite for next year's general election without Prince Norodom Ranariddh, a senior Funcinpec official said Thursday.

Speaking to reporters before leaving for China, Funcinpec executive president Nhiek Bun Chhay said Funcinpec officials were dissatisfied with the prince's leadership.

The two parties announced plans to merge in May under a deal brokered by Prime Minister Hun Sen. But they abandoned the plans after commune elections in June in which both parties performed poorly.