Souvanna Phouma

Souvanna Phouma
ເຈົ້າສຸວັນນະພູມາ
File:Souvanna Phouma.jpg
8th Prime Minister of Laos
In office 21 November 1951 – 20 October 1954
Preceded by	Phoui Sananikone
Succeeded by	Katay Don Sasorith
In office 21 March 1956 – 17 August 1958
Preceded by	Katay Don Sasorith
Succeeded by	Phoui Sananikone
In office 30 August 1960 – 13 December 1960
Preceded by	Prince Somsanith Vongkotrattana
Succeeded by	Boun Oum
In office 23 June 1962 – 2 December 1975
Preceded by	Boun Oum
Succeeded by	Kaysone Phomvihane
Personal details
Born	7 October 1901 (1901-10-07) Luang Phrabang, Laos
Died	10 January 1984 (1984-01-11) Vientiane, Laos
Political party	National Progressive Party, Lao Neutralist Front
Spouse	Aline Claire Allard

Prince Souvanna Phouma (7 October 1901 – 10 January 1984) was the leader of the neutralist faction and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Laos several times from 1951–1954, 1956–1958, 1960 and 1962–1975.

Early life

Souvanna Phouma was the son of Bounkhong, the last vice-king of Luang Prabang and a nephew of King Sisavang Vong of Laos, given a French education in Hanoi, Paris and Grenoble, where he obtained his degree in architecture and engineering. He returned to his homeland in 1931, marrying Aline Claire Allard, the daughter of a French father and a Lao mother, and entered the Public Works Service of French Indochina

Souvanna Phouma, together with his brother, Prince Phetsarath Rattanavongsa (1891–1959) and his half-brother, Prince Souphanouvong (1909–1995), at around the end of World War II, joined Lao Issara (Free Laos) movement established to counter the French occupation and its provisional Vientiane government (1945–46).

When the French reoccupied Laos, Souvanna fled to exile in Bangkok, but returned to Laos in 1949 as France began conceding autonomy to Laos.

Souvanna Phouma and his wife had four children including Mangkra Souvanna Phouma and Princess Moune, who married Perry J. Stieglitz, cultural-affairs attaché of the U.S. embassy.

Prime Ministership

In 1951, Souvanna became Prime Minister of Laos under the National Progressive Party banner with a landslide victory, winning 15 of the 39 seats in the National Assembly. He was prime minister until 1954.

After elections in December 1955, Souvanna Phouma returned to the prime ministership on a platform of national reconciliation. In August 1956 Souvanna and the Communist Pathet Lao, which his half-brother Souphanouvong headed agreed on broad proposals for a ‘government of national union’. Elections for 21 extra assembly seats were finally held in May 1958, with parties aligned with the Pathet Lao acquiring 13. Souphanouvong entered the government as Economic Minister. Another Pathet Lao leader, Phoumi Vongvichit, also acquired a Ministry. The United States considered Souvanna Phouma's return to office bad news.

In June 1958 Souvanna was again forced to resign by the rightists. The king accepted the vote as legal the next day when he signed Royal Ordinance No. 282, dismissing Souvanna Phouma's government and giving powers provisionally to the Revolutionary Committee. Royal Ordinance No. 283, approved a provisional government formed by Prince Boun Oum, who acted as front man for Phoui Sananikone. He was one of the Three Princes, who Sisavang Vatthana appointed to form a coalition government between the rightists and Pathet Lao but it collapsed, and the Laotian Civil War began.

References

• Stieglitz, Perry. In a Little Kingdom. 1990 M.E. Sharpe, Inc.