Norodom Ranariddh
Encyclopedia
Prince Norodom Ranariddh (born January 2, 1944) is the second son of former king Norodom Sihanouk
of Cambodia
and a half brother of the current king, Norodom Sihamoni
.
. By agreement the two first shared equal status, but in September Ranariddh asserted his primacy as First Prime Minister, while Hun Sen remained Second Prime Minister. Following advice from his closest aide, he attempted to ally himself with renegade elements of the Khmer Rouge. In July 1997 Rannaridh was ousted by Hun Sen
. After initially fleeing the country, he later returned to Cambodia to participate in the national election. His party suffered heavy losses but managed to form a new coalition with Hun Sen and became Chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly.
When King Norodom Sihanouk abdicated in October 2004, Ranariddh was a likely candidate to succeed him, and a likely choice for king due to his popularity. However, he renounced interest in the post and later that month he was part of the nine-member throne council which convened and chose Norodom Sihamoni
to be the next king.
He was chairman of the Funcinpec
political party but was removed in shame by party vote on October 18, 2006 led by once his closest advisor and general Gen. Nek Bunchhay.
Subsequently he established the Norodom Ranariddh Party
(NRP), which is currently the third largest party in Cambodia.http://english.people.com.cn/200704/19/eng20070419_368025.html In the 2008 national election his new party won two seats in the national assembly.
On December 12, 2008, King Norodom Sihamoni
selected him as chief advisor of his advisory court.http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2008121223190/National-news/More-royals-could-face-political-exit.html
Before he was pardoned, he was living in Kuala Lumpur
with his second wife and his son, Sothearidh.
Norodom Sihanouk
Norodom Sihanouk regular script was the King of Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his semi-retirement and voluntary abdication on 7 October 2004 in favor of his son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni...
of Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and a half brother of the current king, Norodom Sihamoni
Norodom Sihamoni
Norodom Sihamoni is the current reigning King of Cambodia. He is the eldest son of Norodom Sihanouk and Norodom Monineath Sihanouk. Previously Cambodia's ambassador to UNESCO, he was named by a nine-member throne council to become the next king after his father Norodom Sihanouk abdicated in 2004...
.
Biography
When the monarchy was restored in 1993, he became Prime Minister, jointly with his father's rival Hun SenHun Sen
Hun Sen is the current Prime Minister of Cambodia.He has been the sole leader of the Cambodian People's Party , which has governed Cambodia since the Vietnamese-backed overthrow of the Khmer Rouge in 1979...
. By agreement the two first shared equal status, but in September Ranariddh asserted his primacy as First Prime Minister, while Hun Sen remained Second Prime Minister. Following advice from his closest aide, he attempted to ally himself with renegade elements of the Khmer Rouge. In July 1997 Rannaridh was ousted by Hun Sen
Hun Sen
Hun Sen is the current Prime Minister of Cambodia.He has been the sole leader of the Cambodian People's Party , which has governed Cambodia since the Vietnamese-backed overthrow of the Khmer Rouge in 1979...
. After initially fleeing the country, he later returned to Cambodia to participate in the national election. His party suffered heavy losses but managed to form a new coalition with Hun Sen and became Chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly.
When King Norodom Sihanouk abdicated in October 2004, Ranariddh was a likely candidate to succeed him, and a likely choice for king due to his popularity. However, he renounced interest in the post and later that month he was part of the nine-member throne council which convened and chose Norodom Sihamoni
Norodom Sihamoni
Norodom Sihamoni is the current reigning King of Cambodia. He is the eldest son of Norodom Sihanouk and Norodom Monineath Sihanouk. Previously Cambodia's ambassador to UNESCO, he was named by a nine-member throne council to become the next king after his father Norodom Sihanouk abdicated in 2004...
to be the next king.
He was chairman of the Funcinpec
Funcinpec
FUNCINPEC is a royalist political party in Cambodia. Before the 2008 election, FUNCINPEC and the Cambodian People's Party formed a coalition government, although FUNCINPEC's significance has decreased steadily since 1998, when it had an equal relationship with the CPP in the coalition.FUNCINPEC is...
political party but was removed in shame by party vote on October 18, 2006 led by once his closest advisor and general Gen. Nek Bunchhay.
Subsequently he established the Norodom Ranariddh Party
Norodom Ranariddh Party
The Norodom Ranariddh Party is a Cambodian political party created by Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who has left the Royalist FUNCINPEC party of which he was previously leader/chairman....
(NRP), which is currently the third largest party in Cambodia.http://english.people.com.cn/200704/19/eng20070419_368025.html In the 2008 national election his new party won two seats in the national assembly.
Return from exile
After Prime Minister Hun Sen was re-elected during the 2008 Cambodian elections, King Norodom Sihamoni granted a royal pardon upon the request of the re-elected Prime Minister. Ranariddh had been sentenced in absentia to 18 months in March 2007 over a US$3.6 million illegal property sale. The court ruled he improperly sold his former political party headquarters and used proceeds from the sale to purchase another property in his own name. Shortly after he was pardoned, he read out a letter on television thanking King Sihamoni, his half brother, for giving him "full freedom in order to join in the development of the nation." The prince also thanked Prime Minister Hun Sen for helping to arrange the royal pardon for him and said that he would return to Cambodia soon: he subsequently returned, and has retired from politics.On December 12, 2008, King Norodom Sihamoni
Norodom Sihamoni
Norodom Sihamoni is the current reigning King of Cambodia. He is the eldest son of Norodom Sihanouk and Norodom Monineath Sihanouk. Previously Cambodia's ambassador to UNESCO, he was named by a nine-member throne council to become the next king after his father Norodom Sihanouk abdicated in 2004...
selected him as chief advisor of his advisory court.http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2008121223190/National-news/More-royals-could-face-political-exit.html
Family
Ranariddh has two wives:- Princess Mary to whom he was married in his youth, but the couple failed to re-certificate their wedding by Cambodia's policy and he later used this advantage to claim that Princess Mary was not his legal wife and prevented her from using the title of Princess. Having two wives is illegal under Cambodian law.
- Uk Phalla, a former dancer with whom he has a son.
Before he was pardoned, he was living in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
with his second wife and his son, Sothearidh.