Editing Norodom Ranariddh (section)

===Exit from FUNCINPEC===

On 2 March 2006, the National Assembly passed a constitutional amendment which required only a [[Majority|simple majority]] of parliamentarians to support a government, instead of the two-thirds majority that was previously stipulated.<ref name="Widyono277">Widoyono (2008), p. 277</ref> Rainsy had first proposed the amendment in February 2006, who had hoped that a simple majority would make it easier for his party to form a government should they win in future elections.<ref>Strangio (2014), p. 113</ref> The following day after the constitutional amendment was passed, Hun Sen relieved Norodom Sirivudh and Nhek Bun Chhay of their posts as FUNCINPEC's co-minister of interior and co-minister of defense respectively.<ref name="Widyono277"/> Ranariddh protested against the dismissals, and resigned as the President of the National Assembly on 14 March. He then left Cambodia, to reside in France. Shortly after his departure, local tabloids published stories that Ranariddh had had an affair with Ouk Phalla, an [[Apsara]] dancer.<ref name="Widoyono278">Widoyono (2008), p. 278</ref>

In early September 2006, a new law was passed to outlaw adultery,<ref>{{cite web |author=Yun Samean |url=https://www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/ranariddh-to-attend-fpec-meeting-saturday-54507/ |title=Ranariddh To Attend F'pec Meeting Saturday |work=[[The Cambodia Daily]] |date=7 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222123929/https://www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/ranariddh-to-attend-fpec-meeting-saturday-54507/ |archive-date=22 December 2015 |access-date=27 October 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Ranariddh responded by accusing the government of attempting to undermine FUNCINPEC.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Van Roeun |author2=James Welsh |name-list-style=amp |url=https://www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/adultery-law-to-undermine-fpec-ranariddh-54578/ |title=Adultery Law To Undermine F'pec: Ranariddh |work=[[The Cambodia Daily]] |date=11 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222102315/https://www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/adultery-law-to-undermine-fpec-ranariddh-54578/ |archive-date=22 December 2015 |access-date=27 October 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 18 September 2006, Hun Sen and Nhek Bun Chhay called for Ranariddh to be replaced as FUNCINPEC's president, after party reports suggested that Phalla had lobbied Ranariddh to appoint her relatives to government posts. On 18 October 2006, Nhek Bun Chhay convened a party congress which dismissed Ranariddh from his position as FUNCINPEC's president.<ref>{{cite web |author=Vong Sokheng |url=http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/funcinpec-dismisses-ranariddh |title=Funcinpec dismisses Ranariddh |date=20 October 2006 |access-date=14 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924115755/http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/funcinpec-dismisses-ranariddh |archive-date=24 September 2015 |work=Phnom Penh Post |url-status=dead }}</ref> In turn, he was given the titular position of "Historic President". At the congress, Nhek Bun Chhay justified Ranariddh's ouster on the grounds of his deteriorating relations with Hun Sen as well as his practice of spending prolonged periods of time overseas.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Yun Samean |author2=James Welsh |name-list-style=amp |url=https://www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/prince-ousted-as-president-of-funcinpec-55338/ |title=Prince Ousted As President of Funcinpec |work=[[The Cambodia Daily]] |date=19 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222132515/https://www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/prince-ousted-as-president-of-funcinpec-55338/ |archive-date=22 December 2015 |access-date=27 October 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>