The Royal Palace has denied a report that King Norodom Sihamoni will meet with leaders of the ruling and opposition parties over the ongoing dispute on the Cambodian-Vietnamese border.
“The Royal Palace would like to announce to the public that King Norodom Sihamoni has not mentioned [this] and there is no plan to summon leaders of the three political parties for discussion about border issues,” a press statement from the Royal Palace today reads.
On Saturday, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, a former prime minister and head of the royalist Funcinpec party, claimed that leaders of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, along with himself, would meet to “share ideas on territorial issues.”
Prince Sisowath Tomico of the CNRP yesterday said he thought such a meeting was likely, but Royal Palace officials at the time said they were unaware of it.
The statement from the Royal Palace released today makes it clear no such meeting will take place.
“If there are important issues for discussion by the nation, the King of the Kingdom of Cambodia will consult with [Prime Minister] Hun Sen… the King makes no habit of consulting with political party [leaders].
Funcinpec spokesman Nheb Bun Chin said the party agreed with the Royal Palace’s statement this morning, adding that he had “no [further] comment.”
