Editing Norodom Sihanouk (section)

===Monarchical restoration and political influence===
[[File:KingSihanoukQuuenMonineath - Copy - Copy.jpg|thumb|King Sihanouk and Queen Monineath are seen pictured together on their respective thrones]]
[[File:SIhanouk Quinn.jpg|thumb|King Sihanouk meeting with US ambassador [[Kenneth M. Quinn]] in March 1996 at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh]]
The new constitution came into force on 24 September 1993, and Sihanouk was reinstated as the King of Cambodia.{{sfnp|Jeldres|2003|p=11}} A permanent coalition government was formed between FUNCINPEC, CPP and a third political party, the [[Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party]] (BLDP). In turn, Sihanouk made Ranariddh and Hun Sen First and Second Prime Ministers, respectively.{{sfnp|Widyono|2008|pp=1844–1845}} Shortly after that, Sihanouk left for Beijing, where he spent several months for [[cancer treatment]].{{sfnp|Mehta|Mehta|2013|p=232}} In April 1994, Sihanouk returned{{sfnp|Peou|2000|p=220}} and the following month called the government to hold new elections so that the Khmer Rouge could be co-opted into the government.

Both Ranariddh and Hun Sen rejected his suggestion,{{sfnmp|Peou|2000|1p=221|2a1=Mehta|2a2=Mehta|2y=2013|2p=233}} but Sihanouk pressed on, and further proposed a [[national unity government]] consisting of FUNCINPEC, CPP, and the Khmer Rouge headed by him.{{sfnp|Widyono|2008|p=162}} Again, both prime ministers rejected Sihanouk's proposal, arguing that Khmer Rouge's past intransigent attitude made the proposal unrealistic.{{sfnmp|Peou|2000|1p=222|Widyono|2008|2p=163}} Sihanouk backed down, and expressed frustration that Hun Sen and Ranariddh had been ignoring him. As both Norodom Sirivudh{{sfnp|Peou|2000|p=223}} and Julio Jeldres, his younger half-brother and official biographer, respectively, saw it, this was a clear sign that the monarchy's ability to exert control over national affairs had diminished, at least vis-a-vis the prime ministers.{{sfnp|Peou|2000|p=225}}

In July 1994, one of his sons, [[Norodom Chakrapong]], led a [[1994 Cambodian coup d'état attempt|failed coup attempt]] to topple the government.{{sfnp|Mehta|Mehta|2013|p=246}} Following the coup attempt, Chakrapong took refuge in a hotel in Phnom Penh, but government troops soon discovered his hideout and surrounded the hotel. Chakrapong called Sihanouk, who negotiated with government representatives to allow him to go into exile in Malaysia.<ref>{{cite web|author=Nate Thayer|url=http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/frantic-calls-regents-rm-406|title=Frantic calls from Regent's Rm 406|date=15 July 1994|access-date=20 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626214352/http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/frantic-calls-regents-rm-406|archive-date=26 June 2015|work=The Phnom Penh Post|url-status=dead}}</ref> The following November, Sirivudh was accused of plotting to assassinate Hun Sen and imprisoned. Sihanouk intervened to have Sirivudh detained at the interior ministry's headquarters, convinced that there was a secret plan to kill the latter if he were to remain in prison.{{sfnp|Widyono|2008|p=184}} After Sirivudh was relocated to the safer location, Sihanouk appealed to Hun Sen that Sirivudh be allowed to go into exile in France together with his family. Subsequently, Hun Sen accepted his offer.{{sfnp|Widyono|2008|p=185}}

Relations between the two co-prime ministers, Ranariddh and Hun Sen, deteriorated from March 1996,{{sfnp|Widyono|2008|p=214}} when the former accused the CPP of repeatedly delaying the allocation process of [[Local government|low-level government]] posts to FUNCINPECs.{{sfnp|Widyono|2008|p=216}} Ranariddh threatened to pull out of the coalition government{{sfnp|Mehta|Mehta|2013|p=253}} and hold national elections in the same year if his demands were not met,{{sfnp|Widyono|2008|p=215}} stoking unease among Hun Sen and other CPP officials.{{sfnp|Widyono|2008|p=215}} The following month, Sihanouk presided over a meeting between several royal family members and senior FUNCINPEC officials in Paris. Sihanouk attempted to reduce tensions between FUNCINPEC and the CPP by assuring that FUNCINPEC would not leave the coalition government and that there were no reactionary elements planning to bring down Hun Sen or the CPP.{{sfnp|Widyono|2008|p=223}}

In March 1997, Sihanouk expressed his willingness to abdicate the throne, claiming that rising anti-royalist sentiment among the populace was threatening the monarchy's existence.{{sfnp|Widyono|2008|p=241}} In response, Hun Sen tersely warned Sihanouk that he would introduce constitutional amendments to prohibit members of the royal family from participating in politics if he followed through on his suggestion.<ref>{{cite web|author=Ker Munthit|url=http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/royal-abdication-threat-ignites-war-words|title=Royal abdication threat ignites war of words|date=21 March 1997|access-date=1 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150718210822/http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/royal-abdication-threat-ignites-war-words|archive-date=18 July 2015|work=The Phnom Penh Post|url-status=dead}}</ref> As Widyono saw it, Sihanouk remained popular with the Cambodian electorate, and Hun Sen feared that, should he abdicate and enter politics, he would win in any future elections, thereby undercutting CPP's political clout.{{sfnp|Widyono|2008|p=241}}

In [[1997 Cambodian coup d'état|July 1997, violent clashes]] erupted in Phnom Penh between infantry forces separately allied to the CPP and FUNCINPEC, which effectively led to Ranariddh's ousting after FUNCINPEC forces were defeated.{{sfnp|Widyono|2008|p=258}} Sihanouk voiced displeasure with Hun Sen for orchestrating the clashes, but refrained from calling Ranariddh's ouster a "coup d'état", a term which FUNCINPEC members used.{{sfnp|Widyono|2008|p=259}} When the National Assembly elected [[Ung Huot]] as the First Prime Minister to replace Ranariddh on 6 August 1997,{{sfnp|Widyono|2008|p=263}} Sihanouk charged that Ranariddh's ouster was illegal and renewed his offer to abdicate the throne, a plan which did not materialize.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/11/cambodia/|title=Cambodian King Sihanouk offers to abdicate – But still considers son's ouster illegal|date=21 August 1997|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227102154/http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/11/cambodia/|archive-date=27 February 2015|access-date=2 February 2015|publisher=CNN|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In September 1998, Sihanouk meditated political talks in [[Siem Reap]] after the FUNCINPEC and the [[Sam Rainsy Party]] (SRP) staged protests against the CPP-led government for irregularities over the [[1998 Cambodian general election|1998 general elections]]. The talks broke down at the end of the month after Hun Sen narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, which he accused Sam Rainsy of masterminding.{{sfnp|Summers|2003|p=238}} Two months later, in November 1998, Sihanouk brokered a second round of political talks between the CPP and FUNCINPEC<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ranariddh-maneuvered-new-summit|title=Ranariddh maneuvered into new summit|date=13 November 1998|access-date=22 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222110305/http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ranariddh-maneuvered-new-summit|archive-date=22 December 2015|work=The Phnom Penh Post|url-status=dead}}</ref> whereby an agreement was reached for another coalition government between the CPP and FUNCINPEC.{{sfnp|Summers|2003|p=238}}