Funcinpec (គណបក្ស ហ្វ៊ុនស៊ិនប៉ិច) is a royalist political party in Cambodia. Funcinpec and the Cambodian People's Party form the current governing coalition, though Funcinpec's significance has decreased steadily since 1998, when it had an equal relationship with the CPP in the coalition.

Funcinpec is a French abbreviation for Front Uni National pour un Cambodge Indépendant, Neutre, Pacifique, et Coopératif, which translates to "National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia."

History

The party traces its roots to Norodom Sihanouk, the Cambodian independence leader and former King of Cambodia. Sihanouk's son, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, served as co-prime minister from 1993 to 1997, and led the party until October 2006. Current leader Keo Puth Rasmey succeeded Ranariddh. During the 1980s, Funcinpec participated in the political and armed resistance led by the Khmer Rouge against the Vietnamese-installed People's Republic of Kampuchea. Its armed wing was known as the Sihanoukist National Army (ANS).

At the 1998 elections to the National Assembly of Cambodia, Funcinpec took second place with 43 of 123 seats, establishing the Cambodian People's Party as the leading party in Cambodia. At the 2003 National Assembly elections, the party declined further, taking 20% of the vote and receiving 26 seats. At the 2006 elections to the Senate of Cambodia, the party took 19% of the vote and 12 of the 61 seats. After Ranaridh was dismissed from the party leadership, he left to form the Norodom Ranaridh Party. Funcinpec and the Norodom Ranaridh Party both suffered a massive defeat in the 2008 National Assembly elections, receiving only 2 seats each. The Cambodian People's Party won a landslide victory, the Sam Rainsy Party became the second largest party and was confirmed as the main opposition party, and even the new Human Rights Party became stronger than Funcinpec.

External links

• FUNCINPEC Party