Funcinpec President Prince Norodom Ranariddh said on Wednesday that he and Prime Minister Hun Sen have agreed to end their verbal battle, which for months has been broadcast over the country’s television and radio waves and printed in its newspapers.
His announcement of a media truce comes as Funcinpec and the Sam Rainsy Party’s Alliance of Democrats and the CPP renew their vows to hold fresh talks aiming to end the months-long political deadlock.
“Prime Minister Hun Sen suggested that in order to relax the tense situation and solve the problem for the nation, [media controlled by the two sides] stop defaming each other,” Prince Ranariddh told reporters at the National Assembly, shortly before departing on a trip to Spain.
The prince added that he had ordered the pro-Funcinpec Ta Prohm radio station and 90 FM to cease broadcasting anti-CPP rhetoric.
“Now they have stopped. This will help to solve the problem,” Prince Ranariddh said. He did not mention whether opposition leader Sam Rainsy was included in the agreement.
Questioned on Wednesday, Sam Rainsy Party Secretary-General Eng Chhay Eang said: “It doesn’t matter whether the CPP stops their verbal attack with the SRP. It’s not a big problem.”
Sam Rainsy was also not included in plans for a meeting between Prince Ranariddh and Hun Sen, which the prince also announced Wednesday.
He said Hun Sen had sent a letter to the prince, promising to meet with him when he returns from Spain. Prince Ranariddh added that the premier is still pushing for a two-party government.
“Until now, [CPP] still bases itself only on a bilateral formula, but I hope [for a tripartite government] because the CPP already agreed to accept a tripartite government formula” at a meeting of the three parties on Nov 5, Prince Ranariddh said.
After arriving in Phnom Penh Friday following a three-month absence, Prince Ranariddh left the country Wednesday to attend a congress of the Center Democrats International in Madrid, where he said Funcinpec will accept membership in the coalition of democratic political parties.
His hiatus, during which the prince was reportedly in France and Bangkok, was part of Funcinpec’s strategy to avoid entering a two-party government with the CPP instead of a three-party government, as it intended, royalist party officials had said.
His latest trip will include a visit to Germany and Brussels, Prince Ranariddh said, but he declined to say when he will return.
“When I come back, [Hun Sen] will meet me,” the prince said. In the meantime, he said, the two working groups, consisting of members from all three parties, would meet to discuss the formation of the new government and Assembly. A date for their meeting has not yet been set.
Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Ung Bun-Ang acknowledged a meeting between Prince Ranariddh and Hun Sen would not include Sam Rainsy, but he said it did not affect the Alliance’s commitment to stay together.
“Hun Sen wishes to talk to the president first,” he said. “There is no problem.”
Meanwhile, CPP spokesman Khieu Kanharith confirmed the two leaders’ had agreed to end verbal attacks against each other. Starting 8 am Wednesday morning, he said, all CPP-affiliated media stopped disseminating criticism against Funcinpec.
The decision was met with enthusiasm from pro-CPP Apsara Television and Radio station director Sok Ey San.
“This is great,” he said. “To stop the verbal attacks will help create a good environment for negotiations to solve the political problems.”
Ta Prohm radio station director Noranarith Anandayath could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
