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ACHIVE ARTICLES |
Cambodia: 1998 |
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1957: Cambodia |
Cambodian Parties Agree to Coalition Government Led by Hun Sen Archives consist of articles that originally appeared in Collier's Year Book (for events of 1997 and earlier) or as monthly updates in Encarta Yearbook (for events of 1998 and later). Because they were published shortly after events occurred, they reflect the information available at that time. Cross references refer to Archive articles of the same year. 1998: Cambodian Parties Agree to Coalition Government Led by Hun Sen More than three months after Cambodia's national elections, opposition leader Prince Norodom Ranariddh agreed on November 13, 1998, to participate in a coalition government led by Prime Minister Hun Sen. Under the agreement, brokered by Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk, Hun Sen will continue to serve as the nation's sole prime minister. Ranariddh will become president of the National Assembly, Cambodia's main legislative body. Prior to the agreement, Hun Sen's ruling Cambodia People's Party (CPP) had insisted that Ranariddh share the presidency with Chea Sim, a CPP leader. To break the impasse, the two sides agreed to modify the constitution to create a new Senate and named Chea Sim as its first leader. The Senate, which is expected to play a largely advisory role, will initially be appointed by Sihanouk. Future negotiations between the parties will decide the total number of Senate seats and how they are to be apportioned. Sihanouk, a popular figure and father of Ranariddh, announced the agreement after a two-day summit at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital. Observers said the king had urged the two sides to reach a compromise before his departure on November 14 to Beijing, China, for medical treatment. “The major political crisis in the country has been resolved, and the political deadlock facing the nation has also come to an end,” declared Sihanouk in a formal statement. Cambodia's political crisis began in July 1997 when Hun Sen, then sharing power with Ranariddh in an uneasy coalition government, ousted Ranariddh in a bloody coup. The move was sharply condemned by the international community. National elections staged in July 1998 gave the CCP a narrow victory, well short of the two-thirds needed to confirm a new government. Ranariddh and Sam Rainsy, an opposition ally, refused to join Hun Sen in a coalition government, accusing the CCP of winning the election through voting fraud and intimidation. (See the August 1998 Update “Cambodia: Hun Sen Declares Election Victory” for details.) Political analysts said the formation of a coalition government could help Cambodia gain access to badly needed international investment and aid, largely withheld since the coup. In addition, the new government could speed Cambodia's entry into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other important international organizations, analysts said.
Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2002. © 1993-2001
Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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