Word: norodom
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Cambodia's young Premier Norodom Sihanouk, who used to be his country's King, has a strange notion of democracy. It is the people, not Parliament. Thus he calls his people to congresses (BIG NATIONAL POPULAR MEETING AT THE ROYAL
...Prince Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodia's retired King and present popular idol, once dreamed of going to Hollywood to be a "Cambodian Charlie Chan." Last week, in Cambodia's capital city of Pnompenh (pop. 150,000), the young (32) leader produced, directed and starred in a far more ambitious production, a sort of oriental Mr. Smith Goes to Washington...
...sarong-clad Cambodian Smiths and Mrs. Smiths thronged into the city to participate in a national congress to suggest constitutional amendment and nominate a Premier. All an adult citizen needed to do to be a "congressman" was to present a coconut, a grapefruit, or some similar token, to King Norodom Suramarit, Sihanouk's father. Some 30,000 availed themselves of the opportunity...
...three days the young Prince resisted the temptation and then, with no other national leaders in sight, gave in. Announced the Royal Palace: "At the people's request, [Prince] Upayuvareach Norodom Sihanouk agrees to [head] the new government...
...will not accept public office, said ex-King Norodom Sihanouk, but he will direct governmental affairs through a party steering committee. To get his people's ideas, he added, he will soon convene a sort of town meeting of the nation in the Pnompenh soccer stadium, "as in the days of the ancient Greeks...