By Lor ChandaraFuncinpec President Prince Norodom Ranariddh said Monday he gave away his party’s right to appoint the governor of Phnom Penh because Prime Minister Hun Sen asked him to.
Speaking outside the National Assembly, the Assembly president said top Funcinpec officials agreed with the decision.
“Don’t be confused,” Prince Ranariddh said. “The position of Phnom Penh governor is the only post delegated directly from the Royal Government. So when the government head requested it to better organize the city, I had to give it away. Hun Sen has the right to make the proposal.”
The position had been allocated to Funcinpec as part of last year’s deal-making following the 1998 elections, but it had been vacant until this weekend, when Hun Sen and Prince Ranariddh asked the King to formalize Chea Sophara’s promotion.
