Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party—Cambodia
During the 1980s, civil war wracked Cambodia. One faction, the Kampuchean People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF), was headed by Son Sann (1911–2000), onetime prime minister from 1967 to 1968 under Prince Norodom Sihanouk (b. 1922). The KPNLF mobilized its support in Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand.
Since Son Sann lived in Paris, and thus was physically removed from Cambodia, the KPNLF opened a Bangkok office, which was headed by Ieng Mouly (b. 1950). The KPNLF was the only faction favoring a liberal democracy for Cambodia. For the election in 1993, the KPNLF retitled itself the Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party (BLDP), with Son Sann as president. The BLDP won only six seats, but it was included in the ruling coalition along with the two major parties. Ieng Mouly became the Minister of Information.
The BLDP split in May 1995. The government then recognized the BLDP as represented by the faction of Ieng Mouly, who was elected BLDP president in July. In August, Son Sann and his supporters were expelled from the BLDP, whereupon they formed the Son Sann Party. Later, a breakaway BLDP faction formed the Light of Liberty Party. During the 1998 election, none of the three parties won a seat, so they disbanded. Former BLDP members then joined either the Cambodian People's Party or the Sihanoukist Party, which were the two main political parties.
Cambodia—History
Further Reading
Chandler, David P. (1991) The Tragedy of Cambodia History: Politics, War, and Revolution since 1945. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Haas, Michael. (1991) Genocide by Proxy: Cambodian Pawn on a Superpower Chessboard. New York: Praeger.
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