Norodom Ranariddh (1944-2021) was a Cambodian politician and prince. He was the oldest son of Cambodia’s former king, Norodom Sihanouk, and he was the leader of the royalist political party Funcinpec. Ranariddh served as chairman of Cambodia’s National Assembly from 1998 to 2006.
Norodom Ranariddh was born on Jan. 2, 1944, in Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital. He became secretary-general of Funcinpec in 1985. In September 1993, Cambodia adopted a new constitution, under which Ranariddh’s Funcinpec grouping shared in the government with the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) led by Hun Sen and two smaller parties. Ranariddh was named as first premier or first prime minister, with Hun Sen as second premier.
In the late 1990’s, Funcinpec and the CPP, which had long been rivals for power, became increasingly hostile to each other. Members of Ranariddh’s and Hun Sen’s parties clashed in Phnom Penh in 1997. After seeing his supporters killed, jailed, and tortured, Ranariddh fled into exile. Bitter fighting followed, during which Hun Sen’s forces seized control of the country. The National Assembly chose Ung Huot to take Ranariddh’s place as first prime minister.
Ranariddh was charged in his absence with smuggling arms and plotting with rebels of the Khmer Rouge, a Communist group that brutally ruled Cambodia in the mid-to-late 1970’s. In 1998, Ranariddh was tried in absentia (while absent) on the smuggling charges. He was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison. In a separate trial, he was found guilty of plotting with Khmer Rouge rebels to overthrow the government. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. In March of that year, Ranariddh received a royal pardon and returned to Cambodia.
In a 1998 general election, the CPP failed to win the two-thirds majority needed to form a government. Leaders of Funcinpec and the CPP agreed to form a coalition government. Hun Sen became the sole prime minister, and Ranariddh became chairman of the National Assembly. In a general election held in 2003, the CPP again failed to win enough seats in the National Assembly to govern alone. Months of political struggle followed. In 2004, the CPP and Funcinpec finally agreed to form a power-sharing government, with Hun Sen remaining as prime minister and Ranariddh remaining as National Assembly chairman. Ranariddh held that post until 2006.
In 2006, Ranariddh was asked to leave Funcinpec. He left the country, and was tried in absentia on charges of illegally profiting from the party. He was found guilty, but he was granted a royal pardon in 2008 by his half brother, King Norodom Sihamoni. Eventually, Ranariddh again became the leader of Funcinpec. He died on Nov. 29, 2021.
See also Hun Sen; Norodom Sihamoni; Norodom Sihanouk.
