Ung Huot favored to replace Ranariddh

By Santi W.E. Soekanto

PHNOM PENH (JP): Cambodian Foreign Minister Ung Huot, of the FUNCINPEC royalist party, is the most likely replacement for First Prime Minister Prince Ranariddh, who fled abroad following the factional fighting here early last month, said an expert.

Kao Kim Hourn, the executive director of the think-tank Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said Ung Huot was one of the strongest candidates, although there are other eligible names, such as first vice president of the National Assembly, Loy Sim Chheang, and Siem Reap provincial governor Tuon Chhay.

Kim Hourn, however, believed Ung Huot was the most eligible candidate given that he is a member of the National Assembly, as the Constitution requires, is well-known and someone whom Second Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) would be able to work with.

"He is the strongest candidate," Hourn agreed, but was quick to point out that Ung Huot would not find it so easy to replace Ranariddh.

The National Assembly is widely expected to hold a session today (Wednesday) to elect Ranariddh's replacement. Loy Sim Chheang, however, declined to confirm it.

In the 1993 election, FUNCINPEC emerged the bigger winner, garnering 58 of the 120 seats at the National Assembly, three short of a simple majority. The CPP won 51 seats, and, initially, refused the results, alleging voting manipulation.

King Norodom Sihanouk then proposed that FUNCINPEC president Prince Ranariddh and CPP vice president Hun Sen share power by being co-premiers. Prince Ranariddh lost his post during July's military action and it is now inconceivable that he will return.

Hun Sen stated that FUNCINPEC, or whatever is left of the party in Cambodia, should convene and elect a replacement. But the sheer logistics of gathering two thirds of the 1,300 members of FUNCINPEC's national council in such a short time has been regarded as inconceivable.

In addition to the much-weakened, badly split FUNCINPEC party, Ung Huot also had to contend with King Norodom Sihanouk. The father of Prince Ranariddh had said in Beijing he would not approve any move to remove his son until an independent court finds him guilty of the crimes that had been attributed to him. Among the accusations leveled at Prince Ranariddh was that he collaborated with the Khmer Rouge.

Fifteen members of FUNCINPEC fled the country in the aftermath of the factional fighting.

Kim Hourn stressed the need to resolve the political crisis within a constitutional framework, but acknowledged the difficulties as the final stamp of approval should be given by the King.

He came up with four possible scenarios which he believed could lead to Ung Huot's premiership. The first is for Cambodia to go ahead with the election and face whatever the results would be.

The second is maintaining the status quo, meaning the second prime minister remains while leaving the post of first prime minister vacant. The third is "forget the Constitution", while the fourth scenario is Ung Huot becomes prime minister if the King was to pass away.

However, none of the scenarios is without its complications, Hourn said. The obstacle to the last scenario, for instance, is a stipulation that the King should approve the appointment of a prime minister, while it is not clear even now who will succeed Sihanouk.

Hourn pointed out that the Constitution does not rule whether "an acting prime minister" can step in and replace an absent prime minister. "Time will help Cambodia decide," he said.

Hourn also foresaw greater future challenges to the coalition government, which for some time, had not been run in the spirit of "consensus and compromising".