Editing Norodom Sihanouk (section)

===Final years as king===
Sihanouk maintained a monthly bulletin in which he wrote commentaries on political issues and posted old photos of Cambodia in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1997, a character known by the name of "Ruom Rith" first appeared in his monthly bulletin, expressing critical comments on Hun Sen and the government. Hun Sen became offended by Ruom Rith's criticisms, and on at least two occasions in 1998 and 2003 persuaded Sihanouk to stop publishing his comments.{{sfnp|Widyono|2008|pp=167–168}}<ref>{{cite web|author=Imran Vittachi|url=http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/king-muzzles-smile-month|title=King muzzles the 'Smile of the month'|date=16 May 1997|access-date=6 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706220827/http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/king-muzzles-smile-month|archive-date=6 July 2015|work=The Phnom Penh Post|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to Ranariddh, Ruom Rith was an alter ego of Sihanouk, a claim which the latter vehemently denied.{{sfnp|Mehta|Mehta|2013|p=302}} In July 2002, Sihanouk expressed concern over the absence of detailed constitutional provisions over the organization and functioning of the [[Royal Council of the Throne|Cambodian throne council]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Vong Sokheng|url=http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/succession-issue-troubles-king|title=Succession issue troubles King|date=5 July 2002|access-date=1 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701172353/http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/succession-issue-troubles-king|archive-date=1 July 2015|work=The Phnom Penh Post|url-status=dead}}</ref> When Hun Sen rejected Sihanouk's concern, the latter followed up in September 2002 by threatening to abdicate, so as to force the throne council to convene and elect a new monarch.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Vong Sokheng|author2=Robert Carmichael|name-list-style=amp|url=http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/king-mulls-abdication|title=King mulls abdication|date=27 September 2002|access-date=1 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701201536/http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/king-mulls-abdication|archive-date=1 July 2015|work=The Phnom Penh Post|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In July 2003, [[2003 Cambodian general election|general elections]] were held again, and the CPP won. However, they failed to secure [[Two-thirds vote|two-thirds]] of all parliamentary seats, as required by the constitution to form a new government. The two runner-up parties of the election, FUNCINPEC and SRP, blocked the CPP from doing so.{{sfnp|Chin|2005|p=115}} Instead, in August 2003 they filed complaints with the Constitutional Council over alleged electoral irregularities.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Susan Front, Sam Rith|author2=Chhim Sopheark|name-list-style=amp|url=http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/council-rejects-complaints-srp-funcinpec|title=Council rejects complaints by SRP, Funcinpec|date=29 August 2003|access-date=5 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924103802/http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/council-rejects-complaints-srp-funcinpec|archive-date=24 September 2015|work=The Phnom Penh Post|url-status=dead}}</ref> After their complaints were rejected, FUNCINPEC and SRP threatened to boycott the swearing-in ceremony of parliamentarians. Sihanouk coaxed both parties to change their decision, stating that he would abstain from presiding over the ceremony as well if they did not comply with his wishes.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Yun Samean|author2=Lor Chandara|name-list-style=amp|url=https://www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/king-wont-convene-new-parliament-41174/|title=King Won't Convene New Parliament|date=17 September 2003|access-date=5 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304191153/https://www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/king-wont-convene-new-parliament-41174/|archive-date=4 March 2016|work=The Cambodia Daily|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Both parties eventually backed off from their threats, and the swearing-in ceremony was held in October 2003, with Sihanouk in attendance.<ref>{{cite web|author=Yun Samean|url=https://www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/king-swears-in-legislators-despite-standoff-43137/|title=King Swears in Legislators Despite Standoff|date=6 October 2003|access-date=5 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090848/https://www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/king-swears-in-legislators-despite-standoff-43137/|archive-date=4 March 2016|work=The Cambodia Daily|url-status=dead}}</ref> The CPP, FUNCINPEC, and SRP held additional talks into 2004 to break the political stalemate, but to no avail. At the same time, Sihanouk proposed a unity government jointly led by politicians from all three political parties, which Hun Sen and Ranariddh both rebuffed.{{sfnmp|Chin|2005|1pp=117, 119|Widyono|2008|2p=277}}

In February 2004, Sihanouk advocated and publicly backed [[Recognition of same-sex unions in Cambodia|same-sex marriage]], at a time when the matter was relatively taboo and against Cambodia's backdrop as a conservative society and was praised for his support for the nation's [[LGBT rights in Cambodia|LGBT demographic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3505915.stm|title=Cambodian king backs gay marriage|work=BBC News |date=20 February 2004|access-date=7 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/cambodia-lgbt-comes-out-of-the-shadows/3775116.html|title=Cambodian LGBT Comes Out of the Shadows|publisher=VOA News |date=21 March 2017|access-date=7 May 2022}}</ref>

Sihanouk also engaged in pursuing philanthropy with his establishment of the "Samdech Euv Team" whose primary purpose is to assist in humanitarian works and projects throughout the country, of which he would later dedicate much of himself during his retirement years.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jeldres |first=Julio A. |title= The Royal House of Cambodia |year=2017 |location= Cambodia |publisher= The Sleuk Rith Institute |pages=105–106 |isbn=9789924907855|edition=2nd }}</ref>