More politics

Continuing the political theme, had a very good conversation with the chap on the left over coffee and sweets on Wednesday. His name's Khemeron and he's the cousin of Khemera (stripey shirt) who's the adopted son of Norman (in the blue). I've known Norman and his wife, Fi, for years. Since childhood Essex days. Big gap though in the 90s and 00s when they were living here and I was living in various places. Good to have caught up with them in the 10s-so-far though and got to know Khemera and his family too.

Anyway, back to Khemeron who I'd heard a lot about but never met before. Can't remember how we got on to it but he ended up giving me the clearest potted history of Cambodian politics since the early 90s I've heard so far. Just wish I'd recorded it! It was pure eloquence. And would make it loads easier now to write this post......

Not wanting to get into a brain-fug trying to remember it all, I'll just highlight one thing that follows on from the Politics post t'other day.... the relationship between the current party in power (the Cambodian Peoples Party) and the Royalist political party FUNCIPEC (which is a French acronym and translates as: "National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia").

Struck me as odd that they were in such close cahoots, given FUNCIPEC's pitiful result at the last election. Couldn't see the logic of CPP going into a coalition with them but now it's making sense.....

Back in '93, FUNCIPEC was top dog, winning the first election since the 1970s. Not that it lasted long. In the next election in '96, CPP became the Bright New Thing and won with a huge majority. Its leader, Hun Sen, was a strong character but lacked experience. And then there was a coup. Another story......

What transpired during this time, however, was the flutterings of a courtship between CPP and FUNCIPEC. Which by the next election in '98 was becoming serious. And by '04, after the next election, they were coalitioning.

Apparently, according to Khemeron, they're referred to as husband and wife by the people. But whether they'll stay in bed together after this next election, he knows not.

Next time, some blurb about the opposition party. And why its leader is currently exiled in France......