Royal Family Members Will Form a New Party after the Creation of the Government

Posted on 9 September 2008
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 577

“Phnom Penh: According to a royal family member who used to be a politician, the some royal family members plan to form a new party after the creation of the new term Royal Government.

“Prince Sisowath Thomico, an advisor to the Great Heroic King Norodom Sihanouk, informed Rasmei Kampuchea in the evening of 8 September 2008 whether it is true or not that some members of the royal family plan to form a new party - but he has already discussed it, seeing that in the next term government, the monarchy will loose its voice completely, because he is not sure who are real monarchists at present – whether, in Funcinpec, Mr. Nhek Bun Chhay [the Funcinpec secretary general] or Mr. You Hockry [the secretary general of the Norodom Ranariddh Party] are real monarchist; therefore he is concerned about the loss of the monarchists’ voice.

“Prince Sisowath Thomico added, ‘I have emphasized that the creation of a new party should wait until a new Royal Government is formed, because the Cambodian People’s Party had declared to follow the Sangkum Reastr Niyum regime as a general direction; this is theerefore the time that the monarchists who love the King, and the Great Heroic King, and the monarchy, unite to help the Royal Government to follow the track [of the Sangkum Reastr Niyum tradition]. But we cannot assume that they will follow that track. Therefore, if they do not follow that track, we should find ways so that the monarchists express their voice, to remind the Cambodian People’s Party of their promise, and to remember the track that the Sangkum Reastr Niyum walked; the creation of a new political parity may be a measure that might lead to other related measures.’

“Prince Sisowath Thomico said that the present considerations about the creation of a party are just to serve as a brief discussion, and there is not yet any clear policy. Asked who would be the leader if the members of the royal family would create another party, Prince Thomico responded that that was a difficult question, because if the National Assembly adopts a new law to prohibit members of the royal family to enter politics, they themselves would not be able to enter politics. However, if the National Assembly does not adopt such a law, many members of the royal family want him - Prince Thomico - to be the president.

“Mr. Kol Panha, the executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections – COMFREL – renarked to Rasmei Kampuchea that the creation of a party by members of the royal family is their right, but the royal family should not create too many different parties, because unity among parties will make them strong, and if too many parities are formed, the royal family parties will not be strong.

“Mr. Kol Panha continued that at the present time, there are many people with the right to vote, and the youth of the new generation does not know much about the line of the royal family. Therefore a party created by royal family members might be weaker than other parties which were created earlier. Mr. Kol Panha said also that if a party, that is planed by the royal family, is really formed, the monarchy and politics would be strengthened.

“Regarding the creation of a new party by the royal family, a credible source hinted that the logo of that party would be the ‘Throne’ and its motto ‘The King and the tenfold qualifications of the King [charity, morality, sacrifice, honesty, softness, austerity, calmness, peacefulness, patience, respect for the law] and sovereignty.’

“This source went on to say that a party to be created by members of the royal family does not yet have a name, but a small number of people from the Cambodian People’s Party, some activists from Funcinpec, from the Norodom Ranariddh Party, and from the Sam Rainsy Party who were former Funcinpec activists, will join.

“It should be remembered that previously, Funcinpec was considered to be the royalist party, a party led by members of the royal family and created by the [former King, the] Great Heroic King Norodom Sihanouk, and then the Great Heroic King had handed it to his beloved son, Prince Norodom Ranariddh. Funcinpec, a product of the former Great Heroic King, was strongly supported during the first term elections in 1993. Nevertheless, later on, under the rule by Prince Norodom Ranariddh, Funcinpec had become weaker and weaker until now, when it finally split and almost disappeareds. How much success will the plan to create a new party by members of the royal family achieve, while the Cambodian People’s Party is ruling the country and gained a landslide victory in the previous elections?”

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1741, 9.9.2008
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Tuesday, 9 September 2008