Editing Norodom Sihanouk (section)

===Abdication and entry into politics===
On 2 March 1955, Sihanouk suddenly abdicated the throne{{sfnmp|Jeldres|2003|1p=61|Jeldres|2005|2p=54}} and was in turn succeeded by his father, [[Norodom Suramarit]].{{sfnp|Jeldres|2003|p=44}} His abdication surprised everyone, including his own parents.{{sfnp|Chandler|1991|p=78}} In his abdication speech, Sihanouk explained that he was abdicating in order to extricate himself from the "intrigues" of palace life and allow easier access to common folk as an "ordinary citizen". According to Osborne, Sihanouk's abdication earned him the freedom to pursue politics while continuing to enjoy the deference that he had received from his subjects when he was king.{{sfnp|Osborne|1994|p=91}} He also feared being cast aside by the government after discovering that his popularity was manufactured by his own officials.<ref>PRO, FO 371/117124, British Legation Phnom Penh's telegrams 86 and 87 (1955)</ref>{{sfnp|Chandler|1991|p=78}}

In April 1955, before leaving for a summit with Asian and African states in [[Bandung]], Indonesia, Sihanouk announced the formation of his own political party, the [[Sangkum|Popular Socialist Community]] (Sangkum), and expressed interest in participating in the [[1955 Cambodian general election|general elections]] slated to be held in September 1955. While the Sangkum was, in effect, a political party, Sihanouk argued that the Sangkum should be seen as a political "organisation", and explained that he could accommodate people with differing political orientations on the sole condition that they pledged fealty to the monarchy.{{sfnp|Osborne|1994|p=93}} The creation of the Sangkum was seen as a move to dissolve the political parties.{{sfnp|Chandler|1991|p=79}}<ref>''Souvenirs doux et amers'', {{p.|218|219}}{{Incomplete short citation|date=September 2023}}</ref>

Sangkum was based on four small, monarchist, rightist parties, including the 'Victorious North-East' party of [[Dap Chhuon]], the [[Khmer Renovation Party]] party of [[Lon Nol]],<ref>Kiernan, B. ''How Pol Pot came to power'', Yale University Press, 2004, p. 158</ref> the People's Party{{sfnp|Chandler|1991|p=79}} and the [[Liberal Party (Cambodia)|Liberal Party]].{{sfnp|Chandler|1991|p=82}} At the same time, Sihanouk was running out of patience with the increasingly leftist [[Democratic Party (Cambodia)|Democratic Party]] and the left-wing [[Pracheachon]], as both had refused to merge into his party and had campaigned against him. He appointed as director of national security Dap Chhuon,{{sfnp|Osborne|1994|p=97}} who ordered the national police to jail their leaders and break up their election rallies.{{sfnp|Chandler|1991|p=83}} When elections were held, the Sangkum received 83 percent of all valid votes. They took up all seats in the National Assembly, replacing the Democrats, which had until then been the majority party.{{sfnp|Jeldres|2005|p=55}} The following month, Sihanouk was appointed as prime minister.{{sfnp|Jeldres|2003|p=68}}