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Cambodia's Prince Norodom Ranariddh (L) toalks to reporters with his wife, Ouk Phalla, looks on (AFP/File, Tang Chhin Sothy)
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PHNOM PENH (AFP)— Cambodian Prince Norodom Ranariddh on Friday announced
that he was quitting politics for a second time after he was perceived
as an obstacle to a merger between royalist parties.
The son of
beloved former king Norodom Sihanouk agreed in May to combine his
eponymous Norodom Ranariddh Party with Funcinpec in a bid to
reinvigorate the royalist movement ahead of next year's general
elections.
"I would like to announce, from now on, that I stop
doing politics and will not take responsibility for any work and
decisions made by the Norodom Ranariddh Party any more," Ranariddh said
in a statement.
The prince did not provide the motive behind his
decision to leave politics but it comes after senior officials from both
parties accused him of standing in the way of a smooth merger, in an
apparent clash of personalities.
Ranariddh was ejected from
Funcinpec in 2006 for alleged fraud involving the illegal sale of the
party's headquarters. He formed his own party shortly afterwards.
The
prince was sentenced in absentia to 18 months in jail over the charges
the following year and quit politics in late 2008 after receiving a
royal pardon.
He returned to the political scene in late 2010, vowing to re-unite the royalists.
The
prince's political career began with great promise when, in 1993 as
head of Funcinpec, he won Cambodia's UN-sponsored election.
But he was forced to accept a co-prime minister -- the current premier Hun Sen -- who then ousted him in a bloody coup in 1997.
4 comments:
How come the Prince always got the good one? Man, I'm the one suppose to be with Ouk Phalla...Its not fair!
the young and the old goat, poor girl. She is being forced to like him. She just pretending to like him. Either way, the king just got lucky. Now we have a baby king! He will rule Cambodia in the future. Just my prediction.
Good moves ( prince) ...
U should had known this for along times, u can't play better politics, u can't play smart politics
U too old to play politics,
Congra! To quits ....
I hope the second time for real...I have to be honest and be realistic I have all the respect toward him being King Sihanouk's son, but he is NO Sihanouk. The guy is not a politician, he can't speak and his total perception not a politician, I don't know what is he good at. I am just being honest and expressing my thoughts about Prince Ranaridth.
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