FORMER Cambodian Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh is expected to once again foray into politics after he returns from medical treatment in France.
The 77-year-old prince is expected to again lead the royalist party Funcinpec next month, following years of having been out of politics and leaving the party in the hands of his eldest son, Prince Norodom Chakravuth.
Funcinpec spokesman Phan Sithy said in a press conference that Prince Ranariddh's health has improved after his long-term medical treatment in France.
"His health is much better, he walks on his own, has said a lot," Sithy said, adding that the prince will return to lead the party directly and possibly join the party congress scheduled for Feb 27.
Funcinpec has progressively become weaker over the years. It won 43 seats in the 1998 national election, 26 seats in 2003 and just two in 2008 before being wiped out in the 2013 election.
"We strongly hope that Funcinpec will get seats in the next election. Funcinpec is currently seen as silent, but we are restructuring to be ready to participate in the upcoming commune and general elections," Sithy said, according to a Khmer Times report.
In Aug 2018, Prince Ranariddh hand-picked his eldest son to take over the party in his absence for medical treatment in Thailand after a fatal car crash that killed his wife Ouk Phalla in June 2018.
Chantha, who is a new Funcinpec vice president, said his party was well prepared to compete in the Commune Election in 2022 and as well as the General Election in 2023.
He said Prince Ranariddh was discharged from the hospital and was staying at a residence in France awaiting a return to Cambodia.
Chantha said the party has already set a new strategy to gain back popularity.
He said Funcinpec became weaker due to a split among party leaders in the past, calling it "a disease".
"After Funcinpec returned to the polls in 1998, we were divided into nine separate pieces and continued to fall apart due to misunderstandings," he said.
"For a new strategy, the Prince calls for forgetting the old issues and joining the new Funcinpec to get back the people who used to support him," he added.
Funcinpec won the first national election, which was organised by the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia in 1993, winning 58 out of 120 National Assembly seats, while the current ruling party CPP received 51.
Ranariddh became "First Prime Minister" while Prime Minister Hun Sen was "Second Prime Minister.
Prince Ranariddh was ousted from power after fighting between forces loyal to him and Hun Sen in 1997.
Cambodian Institute for Democracy president Pa Chanroeun told Khmer Times that he does not see Prince Ranariddh as still being influential enough to get back support to win a seat in the upcoming election.
"He is old and physically ill, so it is difficult to get Funcinpec back in the way when he was so young that he can show the people the potential or the policies of the party."
Meanwhile, former opposition lawmaker Ou Chanrath plans to register a new "opposition party" with the Ministry of Interior at the end of this month, after losing hope that the dissolved Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) can be reinstated.
CNRP leaders and supporters are now facing trials for treason and other offences.
Former opposition leader Sam Rainsy and several others are living in exile overseas.
They have made several attempts to return to Cambodia but have been unsuccessful.
Chanrath, who was in CNRP before its dissolution in 2017, said the new opposition party hoped to compete against the CPP in the polls.
He also doubted Rainsy, who is living in exile in France, can return to the country as he had been convicted of various crimes while former CNRP president Kem Sokha was still facing trial on a charge of "treason".