King Norodom Sihanouk declared yesterday that his son, Prince Norodom Sihamoni, was ready to accept the throne to resolve a political crisis triggered last week when the monarch announced he would abdicate.
| "I quit, and you can't stop me!" |
The pledge came in a letter read on Cambodian state television, hours after the prime minister, Hun Sen, said lawmakers had to work day and night to complete the process of choosing a new king or risk the country becoming a republic. King Sihanouk's letter from Beijing said the 51-year-old Sihamoni - better known for his ballet than political skills - would make a suitable king and was "a neutral and impartial person who is not engaged in politics".
| Sorta like Prince Charles. |
The king said his son did not want to be king but would take the job if selected by the throne council, which must meet an October 14 deadline to chose a new ruler. King Sihanouk noted that his more politically experienced eldest son, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, had declined to be considered for the post.
The 81-year-old king bewildered his countrymen with his abdication announcement last Thursday, the same day Mr Hun Sen left for a summit of Asian and European leaders in Vietnam. Prince Ranariddh, head of the national assembly, flew to Beijing on Saturday to try to persuade his father to change his mind. King Sihanouk, who has since January been mostly in the Chinese capital to receive health treatment, said yesterday he was "very moved" by calls for him to stay in power. |