Two Cambodia’s parties to merge this month under the leadership of the prince
Prince Norodom Chakravuth, left, meets with Nhek Bun Chhay, back right, last week. Rasmei News. Sketched by the Pan Pacific Agency.
PHNOM PENH, Dec 2, 2019, The Khmer Times. The royalist Funcinpec party and Khmer National United Party will hold their congress to merge late this month after senior officials of both parties agreed to do so, The Khmer Times reported.
KNUP spokesman Run Meatra said that senior officials of Funcinpec and the KNUP agreed to a merger on December 23.
“Funcinpec and the KNUP will hold a congress to merge on December 23,” Mr Meatra said.
He said that Prince Norodom Ranariddh remains at the helm of Funcinpec.
“We agreed that we give the party president position to Prince Norodom Ranariddh,” Mr Meatra said, adding that the congress will also vote for two vice presidents.
He said all members of both parties should unite for the sake of the party and the country.
“As KNUP spokesman, I call on all members and supporters to unite for the benefit of the nation and people,” he said.
KNUP president Nhek Bun Chhay could not be reached for comment yesterday but in the past, he said that Sihanoukists and royalists should work together.
Phan Sothy, Funcinpec’s deputy general-secretary, yesterday confirmed that both parties will hold a congress on December 23.
Chhoeng Chamroeun, Funcinpec’s secretary-general, declined to comment.
Mr Bun Chhay split from Funcinpec in 2015 and formed the KNUP. KNUP won no seat in parliament in last year’s national election.
Funcinpec has become weaker and weaker, as it won 43 seats in the 1998 election, 26 seats in 2003 and just two in 2008 before being shut out in the 2013 election and in last year’s national election.
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