Prince launches new Cambodian party

A son of Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk has launched a new political party, the Prince Norodom Chakrapong Khmer Soul party.

The prince said he has already applied to the interior ministry for permission to contest next year's election.

He is offering to forge an alliance with the opposition Sam Rainsy party.

He said it was unfair of critics to accuse him of splitting the royalist vote, as the royalist Funcinpec party run by his half-brother Prince Norodom Ranariddh was already weak.

The new party's launch follows Funcinpec's trouncing at local elections in February, when it only received 20% of the vote.

Prince Norodom Chakrapong was convicted in 1994 of planning a coup against the coalition government of Prime Minister Hun Sen and Prince Norodom Ranarridh.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service