BEIJING. Aug 7 : Cambodian Prince Norodom Sihanouk said in remarks distributed Wednesday that he would ex crctse "limited power as chief of state" as president of a council set up to end Cambodia's civil war. reports AP.

Sihanouk also said he plans to run for president and that elections might be held as early as next year. Indicating his optimism that the long civil war could end before then.

He made the remarks in a message from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, where he has been living since late last month. It was distributed by the Cambodian Embassy In Beijing.

The embassy represents the Cambodian resistance govern ment In exite, not the govern

ment installed in Cambbdla s capital of Phnom Penh by Vietnam tn 1978. Three resistance factions arc fighting the Phnom Penh government, led by Hun Sen.

It was not clear if Hun Sen would accept giving Sihanouk even a ceremonial role a» chief of state at this early stage tn the peace process.

Sihanouk. 68, headed the resistance until July, when he Ck up his factional posts to come president of the Supreme National Council. The council is a reconciliation body that includes delegates from the resistance groups and the Hun Sen government.

In his message. Sihanouk said being council president meant T have and will have to exercise very limited power as chief of state."

He compared hts power to

that of French presidents during the Third and Fourth French Republics, from 1870 to 1958, when prime minis ters held mo^t authority.

Hun Sen lias balked at a UN peace plan that would dlsman tie his government and army

and install UN administrators white free elections arc held. During this transition period, the UN plan would lodge Cambodian sovereignly with the Supreme National Council.

The council became operational last month when Hun Sen agreed to Sihanouk s leadership. but its authority remains unclear.

The various^ factions have yet to agree on how and when to disarm their armies, how to draw up a new constitution and how to make the transition to an elected government. They are to meet Aug. 26 in Bangkok to resume negotiations.

Sihanouk said he would be a candidate in presidential elections. which he said might be held next year or In 1993.