Caroline Gluck reports from Phnom Penh:

Cambodia's deposed first prime minister, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, has spoken to the man who ousted him from power, his former rival co-premier, Hun Sen, for the first time in 10 months.

Hun Sen initiated the dialogue

The impasse between the two leaders was broken after Hun Sen telephoned Prince Ranariddh in a bid to end a boycott of parliament by opposition members which has lasted nearly a week, depriving the body of its necessary quorum.

On Monday Hun Sen warned that if the boycott continued, the country's elections might never be held and parliament could be dissolved.

Opposition MPs have been calling for changes to the membership of the body which will supervise the polls, the National Election Committee, saying it is not neutral.

They also want the ballot counting of election results to be carried out at provincial or district level, rather than at village level, arguing that it would leave people open to intimidation.

Hun Sen told reporters that the prince had agreed that vote counting could be carried out at commune level and has now asked his supporters to attend parliament.

A smiling Hun Sen said he would meet the prince very soon, declaring that they were friends and partners and needed to co-operate for the benefit of the nation.

The only enemy of the government and the country, he said, was the former Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot, who died last month of a purported heart attack.
 

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