Tuesday, 26 August 2008

Cambodian Prince Ranariddh to continue pursuing politics: Party

www.chinaview.cn
2008-08-26

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The eponymous opposition party (NRP) headed by Prince Norodom Ranariddh has denied the rumor that he is expected to resign and quit politics, English-Khmer language newspaper the Cambodia Daily said Tuesday.

The prince has never told anyone in the party that he plans to resign from his post as party chairman, said NRP secretary generalSuth Dina.

"This is false information. I believe that the prince will not retire from politics," he said.

English-language daily newspaper the Phnom Penh Post Monday quoted prince Sisowath Thomico as saying that Ranariddh mulls quitting politics in order to return from his current overseas exile.

"I heard of his intention two weeks ago," said Sisowath Thomico, who belongs to the other branch of the Cambodian royal family.

Former king Norodom Sihanouk has often requested that Ranariddh give up politics and focus on improving the nation, he said.

Ranariddh could become chief advisor to King Norodom Sihamoni, something that high-ranking members of the major ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) have frequently suggested, he said.

Ranariddh, who left Cambodia last year under a cloud of legal problems, is living in Malaysia and faces arrest if he comes back.

He once led the co-ruling Funcinpec Party and governed the kingdom jointly with CPP, but later became enemies of major CPP leaders due to power fight.

Editor: Du Guodong

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