| Norodom Ranariddh នរោត្ដម រណឬទ្ធិ |
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| Prince of Cambodia | |
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| Reign | 12 December 2008 – present |
| Spouse | Neak Moneang Ouk Phalla |
| Issue | |
| Prince Norodom Sothearidh | |
| Father | Norodom Sihanouk |
| Mother | Neak Moneang Phat Kanthol |
| Born | 2 January 1944 Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
| Religion | Theravada Buddhism |
Prince Norodom Ranariddh (born January 2, 1944) is the second son of former king Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia and a half brother of the current king, Norodom Sihamoni.
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When the monarchy was restored in 1993, he became Prime Minister, jointly with his father's rival Hun Sen. By agreement the two first shared equal status, but in September Ranariddh asserted his primacy as First Prime Minister, while Hun Sen remained Second Prime Minister. Following advice from his closest aide, he attempted to ally himself with renegade elements of the Khmer Rouge. In July 1997 Rannaridh was ousted by Hun Sen. After initially fleeing the country, he later returned to Cambodia to participate in the national election. His party suffered heavy losses but managed to form a new coalition with Hun Sen and became Chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly.
When King Norodom Sihanouk abdicated in October 2004, Ranariddh was a likely candidate to succeed him, and a likely choice for king due to his popularity. However, he renounced interest in the post and later that month he was part of the nine-member throne council which convened and chose Norodom Sihamoni to be the next king.
He was chairman of the Funcinpec political party but was removed in shame by party vote on October 18, 2006 led by once his closest advisor and general Gen. Nek Bunchhay.
Subsequently he established the Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP), which is currently the third largest party in Cambodia.[2] In the 2008 national election his new party won two seats in the national assembly.
| Monarchical styles of Norodom Ranariddh |
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| Reference style | His Royal Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Royal Highness |
| Alternative style | Sir |
After Prime Minister Hun Sen was re-elected during the 2008 Cambodian elections, King Norodom Sihamoni granted a royal pardon upon the request of the re-elected Prime Minister. Ranariddh had been sentenced in absentia to 18 months in March 2007 over a US$3.6 million illegal property sale. The court ruled he improperly sold his former political party headquarters and used proceeds from the sale to purchase another property in his own name. Shortly after he was pardoned, he read out a letter on television thanking King Sihamoni, his half brother, for giving him "full freedom in order to join in the development of the nation." The prince also thanked Prime Minister Hun Sen for helping to arrange the royal pardon for him and said that he would return to Cambodia soon: he subsequently returned, and has retired from politics.
On December 12, 2008, King Norodom Sihamoni selected him as chief advisor of his advisory court.[3]
Ranariddh has two wives:
Before he was pardoned, he was living in Kuala Lumpur with his second wife and his son, Sothearidh. [1]
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Sen-Ranariddh Coalition |
Prime Minister of Cambodia 1993–1997 |
Succeeded by Ung Huot |
| Preceded by Chea Sim |
President of the National Assembly 1998–2006 |
Succeeded by Heng Samrin |
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