Monday, 6 October 2008

Cambodia's NRP disputes reports of Prince leaving politics

news.balita.ph
October 6, 2008
by pna

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 6 — The Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) made moves to clarify a Thursday announcement by Prince Norodom Ranariddh, saying that the prince had resigned as president of the NRP, but has not yet decided to leave politics entirely, national media reported Monday.

On Thursday evening, Ranariddh hosted a dinner for local journalists and announced that he had already informed King Norodom Sihamoni that he would be leaving politics, the Phnom Penh Post said.

"I promised the King that I had stopped doing politics. As a person, I want to serve the country," the prince told reporters.

"The King would like me to work closely with him to assist him. I am ready if the King would like me to serve him and the country, " he added.

But on Sunday, NRP spokesman Suth Dina insisted that all the prince meant by his announcement was that he had stepped down as the head of the party that bears his name.

"The prince only resigns as the party's president. The prince has not mentioned that he has retired from politics," Suth Dina was quoted as saying.

"The prince wants to rest for a while .. It is unclear whether the prince is retiring from politics," he said.

According to a Saturday statement from the NRP, Prince Ranariddh submitted his formal resignation to the party Friday, and control of the party has been handed to the deputy president, Chhim Seak Leng, until a congress can be held to vote for a new leader.

The prince has permitted the party to continue using the NRP name and the party logo, which bears the face of Prince Ranariddh, the statement said.

After 18 months in self-imposed exile, Ranariddh returned to Cambodia on Sept. 28, just days after a royal amnesty from King Sihamoni overturned the Prince's fraud conviction.

(PNA/Xinhua)

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