Souvanna Phouma
ສຸວັນນະພູມາ
Neutralist leader and the last royal prime minister of Laos
In November 1975 the monarchy's last prime minister, with his half-brother Souphanouvong, went to King Savang Vatthana to ask for his abdication.
A Lao royal and politician who led the neutralist faction and repeatedly headed coalition governments between the right and the Pathet Lao. As the monarchy's last prime minister he led the third coalition government from 1974. In November 1975 he flew with Souphanouvong to Luang Prabang and persuaded King Savang Vatthana to abdicate, then resigned as the National Congress of People's Representatives opened. He remained an adviser to the new government and died in Vientiane in 1984.
Career timeline
- 1945Minister of Public Works, Lao Issara provisional government
- 1951–1954Prime Minister
- 1956–1958Prime Minister (national-reconciliation coalition)
- 1960National Assembly president and prime minister
- 1962Prime minister of the national-union government (Three Princes accord)
- 1974–1975Prime minister of the third coalition government
- 1975Resigned; adviser to the new government