Ex-Cambodia military commander leaves Funcinpec, launches new party

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Ex-military commander leaves Funcinpec, launches new party



PHNOM PENH: -- Nhek Bun Chhay, who commanded Cambodia's military under the Funcinpec-led government in the 1990s and has remained a prominent figure in the royalist party, on Wednesday announced that he had launched a new political party due to his dissatisfaction with Prince Norodom Ranariddh.

Bun Chhay, who helped engineer Prince Ranariddh’s ouster from Funcinpec in 2006 — which lasted until last year, when the prince returned as president of the party — called television reporters to a press conference at his home in Phnom Penh’s Chroy Changva district in the morning.

He said he decided to break away because the current Funcinpec party had abandoned its original logo. He unveiled he logo for his own Khmer National United Party, which is almost identical to the old Funcinpec logo.

Moreover, the internal issues of Funcinpec could not be resolved, he said, adding: “Thirdly, I was not satisfied because the leadership of Funcin­pec was dictatorial.”

Since returning to lead Funcinpec, Prince Ranariddh has changed logos and offices, and overseen a reshuffle in the party’s administration. Bun Chhay’s position was changed from secretary-general to second vice president.

The former general, whose political career began shortly after troops loyal to Prime Minister Hun Sen defeated his army during factional fighting in 1997, explained that he had simply been unable to tolerate Prince Ranariddh.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/149601


-- Thai PBS 2016-02-05