As Funcinpec President Prince Norodom Ranariddh announced Tuesday he is seeking advice from local NGOs on how a new government should be formed, some of Funcinpec’s own officials complained that they’ve been kept out of the loop about the prince’s strategy for their party.
The prince said he was conferring with NGOs and lobby groups ahead of Sunday’s scheduled talks with the CPP to form a new government and National Assembly. “We need some general opinions from the civil society so we can take these ideas for consideration…when we negotiate on Sunday,” the prince told reporters outside the National Assembly.
Over the past few months, Funcinpec officials have said they are wary of falling into the same two-party coalition government with the CPP as in the previous two governments.
But royalist critics charged the party was doing just that after the prince reached a tentative deal with Prime Minister Hun Sen on March 15 to form a government together, with the option of including the Sam Rainsy Party.
On Tuesday, Funcinpec spokesman Kassie Neou said that by consulting NGOs and lobby groups, the party could help ensure the new government would “better serve the nation.”
Funcinpec officials from remote regions of the country, however, said they have little idea of what’s happening within their own party, and some said they are coming to Phnom Penh to find out.
“We are far away from headquarters; we don’t know what is going on,” said San Heap, deputy governor of Battambang province. “I really want to know and other officials do as well.”
One Funcinpec official from Oddar Meanchey province said many royalist members have another reason. “Everyone wants to know [the situation] and try to get a good position in the province and government. They come to contact their officers to help upgrade them,” the official said.
