PHNOM PENH -The former Cambodian prime minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh died in France. This was confirmed by the Cambodian minister for information. He was 77 years old.

His royalist party was elected to power in 1993. He was overthrown by Hun Sen’s coalition partner. Hun Sen is still Cambodia’s prime Minister more than twenty years later.

Khieu Khanharith, information minister, said to Reuters that he was informed by the royal palace about Ranariddh’s death in Paris.

Ranariddh, the monarch most politically active in Cambodia for the past two decades was still leading the Funcinpec royalist party to contest election results years later.

However, he surprised Hun Sen opponents by saying that he had no choice but to partner with Hun Sen in 2017. He has effectively obliterated all other parties and is now the head of a single-party parliament.

Ranariddh, a charismatic son of King Norodom Sihanouk’s shadow, led the Funcinpec party in an unexpected victory in U.N.-run elections in 1993. This vote was to bring to an end over a decade worth of civil war in Cambodia.

Ranariddh did win the vote but was soon overtaken by Hun Sen, who is the leader the the ex-Communist government.