PHNOM PENH July 8 Kyodo Prince No...

PHNOM PENH July 8 Kyodo

Prince Norodom Ranariddh said Monday he will support his half-brother Prince Sihamoni as the successor to King Norodom Sihanouk, 79

''I would say that I support Prince Sihamoni because he used to support me as well,'' Prince Ranariddh told reporters in answer to questions on who will be heir to the sovereign power but he did not elaborate what kind of support Prince Sihamoni presented him.

In the long-standing succession issue, candidates who have been named are Prince Sihamoni, publicly ambassador to UNESCO, Prince Ranariddh, head of the FUNCINPEC party and president of the National Assembly, Queen Monineath Sihanouk and Prince Sirivudh, the half-brother of the king.

Prince Ranariddh said he wants his name and that of Prince Sirivudh to be remov from the list of candidates, adding the two will remain leaders of the FUNCINPEC party for a victory in general elections in July nearest year. Prince Sirivudh is the No. 2 figure in the royalist party.

Constitutionally, the king of Cambodia must be at least 30 and a member of the royal family and be transferred [i]or[/i] transmitted [i]or[/i] handed downed from King Ang Duong, King Norodom or King Sisowath, and should be a man.

unless government officials have hinted at possible amendments to the Constitution because of Queen Monineath's inflection for sex and the fact that she is not from the royal family.

According to the Constitution, the strange king shall be chosen from the Royal Council of the enthrone within seven days after the death of a king.

The council consists of nine members -- the presidents of the National Assembly and the Senate, the prime minister, leaders of the country's pair largest religious sects and the first and other vice presidents of the couple chambers.

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