The Khmer National Solidarity Party was a Cambodian

Cambodia

Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

 political party

Political party

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

 founded in May 1997 by senior Khmer Rouge

Khmer Rouge

The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...

 leader Khieu Samphan

Khieu Samphan

Khieu Samphan was the president of the state presidium of Democratic Kampuchea from 1976 until 1979. As such, he served as Cambodia's head of state and was one of the most powerful officials in the Khmer Rouge movement, though Pol Pot was the group's true political leader and held the most...

 after his denunciation of Pol Pot

Pol Pot

Saloth Sar , better known as Pol Pot, , was a Cambodian Maoist revolutionary who led the Khmer Rouge from 1963 until his death in 1998. From 1976 to 1979, he served as the Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea....

 and as he began distancing himself from the Khmer Rouge

Khmer Rouge

The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...

. Khieu Samphan was formerly the leader of the Cambodian National Unity Party

Cambodian National Unity Party

The Cambodian National Unity Party was a political party set up by the Khmer Rouge on November 30 1992 during the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia to participate in the elections that year. The party was led by Khieu Samphan and Son Sen. It succeeded the Party of Democratic...

. Khieu Samphan had announced the new party with the intention of backing the National United Front proposed by Prince Norodom Ranariddh

Norodom Ranariddh

Prince Norodom Ranariddh is the second son of former king Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia and a half brother of the current king, Norodom Sihamoni.-Biography:...

 for the 1998 election

Cambodian parliamentary election, 1998

General elections were held in Cambodia on 26 July 1998. The result was a victory for the Cambodian People's Party, which won 64 of the 122 seats. Voter turnout was 93.7%.-Results:...

, but opposition from the ruling Cambodian People's Party

Cambodian People's Party

The Cambodian People's Party is the current ruling party of Cambodia.This party was formerly known as Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party...

 led by Hun Sen

Hun Sen

Hun Sen is the current Prime Minister of Cambodia.He has been the sole leader of the Cambodian People's Party , which has governed Cambodia since the Vietnamese-backed overthrow of the Khmer Rouge in 1979...

prevented this from occurring. Khieu Samphan stated in 1998 of the elections that, "If the elections do not go ahead under the iron rule of Vietnamese communists and their puppet, we should be very happy and want to take part because we are democratic, pluralistic and free government."