Members of the royalist party Funcinpec are expected to elect Princess Norodom Arun Rasmey, the youngest daughter of the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk, as president at their party congress on March 23.

In that capacity she would run as the party’s candidate for prime minister in July’s national election.

Nhek Bunn Chay, secretary-general of the Funcinpec party, said that at the congress, several other high-ranking positions within the party would be open for candidates.

Depending on the size of the field, Bun Chhay said, voting would be done by hand if only a small number attended or, in the event of a larger turnout, by secret ballot.

Rasmey, who is Cambodia’s ambassador to Malaysia, is the sister of Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who led Funcinpec to victory in the 1993 election.

In 1997, he was ousted by Prime Minister Hun Sen during several days of bloody factional fighting.

To contact the reporter on this story: Meas Sokchea at [email protected]