THE CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF LAOS: PART 3 [1955-1998]


1955:[JANUARY 1ST]A UNITED STATES OPERATIONS MISSION,RESPONSIBLE FOR CHANNELLING BOTH MILITARY AND ECONOMIC AID, WAS ESTABLISHED IN VIENTIANE.[MARCH 22ND]A GROUP OF 25 VETERANS OF THE INDOCHISESE COMMUNIST PARTY MET IN THE PATHET LOA-CONTROLLED PROVINCES OF HOUAPHAN AND OFFICIALLY FORMED THE LAO PEOPLES PARTY.IT BECAME THE LAO PEOPLES REVOLUTIONARY PARTY[LPRP] IN 1972.KAYSONE PHOMVIHANE WAS NAMED GENERAL-SECRETARY WITH SOUPHANOUVONG AS PRESIDENT.[JULY 9TH]US MILITARY SUPPORT FOR THE ARMY WAS SUSPENDED AS POLITICS BECAME INCREASINGLY CONFUSED, WITH THREE PARTIES VYING FOR CONTROL.[DECEMBER 14TH]LAOS ADMITTED AS A MEMBER OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY[DECEMBER 25TH]GENERAL ELECTIONS WERE HELD FOR AN ASSEMBLY OF 39 SEATS IN REGIONAL UNDER GOVERNMENT CONTROL. THE NATIONAL PROGRESSIVE PARTY WON A MAJORITY 21 SEATS, THE INDEPENDENT PARTY 8 SEATS WHILE THERE WERE 5 INDEPENDENTS.
1956:[JANUARY 6TH]THE MEMBERS OF THE LAO PEOPLES REVOLUTIONARY PARTY[LPRP] HELD A NATIONAL CONGRESS AT WHICH THE LAO PATRIOTIC FRONT[NLHS]WAS CREATED. PRINCE SOUPHANOUVONG WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE.[FEBRUARY 14TH]PRIME MINISTER,KATAY DON SASORITH RESIGNED AFTER 15 MONTHS IN OFFICE. [MARCH 20TH]PRINCE SOUVANNA PHOUMA RETURNS AS PRIME MINISTER, FOLLOWING THE COLLAPSE OF THE KATAY DON SASORITH GOVERNMENT THE PREVIOUS MONTH. IN AN ATTEMPT AT NATIONAL RECONCILIATION, SOUVANNA PHOUMA PROPOSED FRESH TALKS WITH PRINCE SOUPHANOUVONG.[SEPTEMBER 29TH]THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY VOTED TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION TO PERMIT THE FORMATION OF A COALITION GOVERNMENT.[NOVEMBER 17TH]A NUMBER OF CONVENTIONS WITH FRANCE DEALING WITH JUDICIAL, COMMERCIAL,MONETARY,DEFENCE AND OTHER MATTERS WERE SIGNED IN PARIS.[DECEMBER 31ST]PRIME MINISTER,PRINCE SOUVANNA PHOUMA AND PRINCE SOUPHANOUVONG REACHED AN AGREEMENT TO CONCLUDE HOSTILITIES. THE LAO PATRIOTIC FRONT[NLHS] JOINED THE POLITICAL PROCESS AND THE PROVINCES OF HOUAPHAN AND PHOHG SALY WERE TO BE RE-INTEGRATED WITH THE REST OF LAOS.
1957:[MARCH 2ND]PRINCE PETHSARATH SOUVANNA VONGSA,AGED 68,THE ELDEST BROTHER OF BOTH PRINCE SOUVANNA PHOUMA AND PRINCE SOUPHANOUVONG RETURN TO VIENTIANE AFTER 11 YEARS IN EXILE IN THAILAND. [APRIL 16TH]THE UNITED STATES, BRITISH AND FRENCH GOVERNMENTS DISPATCHED IDENTICAL DIPLOMATIC NOTES TO SOUVANNA PHOUMA GOVERNMENT. THE NOTES EXPRESSED DISPLEASURE AT LAOS ACCEPTING AID AND DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION FROM COMMUNIST COUNTRIES. THE NOTES ALSO EXPRESSED DISAPPROVAL OF THE INTEGRATION OF THE NLHS INTO THE INTERNAL POLITICAL PROCESS.[MAY 29TH]THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PASSED A VOTE ,BY 13 TO 11, OF NOCONFIDENCE IN THE GOVERNMENT OF PRIME MINISTER SOUVANNA PHOUMA. HE RESIGNED THE NEXT DAY.[JUNE 3RD]KING SISAVANG VONG ASKED KAYAY DON SASORITH TO FORM A GOVERNMENT. HOWEREVER HE WAS UNABLE TO DO SO.[JULY 2ND]KING SISAVANG VONG ASKED THE LEADER OF THE NATIONAL UNION PARTY, BONG SOUVANNAVONG ,TO FORM A GOVERNMENT. HE WAS UNABLE TO DO SO AS NO ONE WOULD SERVE UNDER HIM.[AUGUST 9TH]PRINCE SOUVANNA PHOUMA WAS RE-INSTATED AS PRIME MINISTER AT THE HEAD OF A COALITION OF THE INDEPENDENT PARTY AND THE NATIONAL PROGRESSIVE PARTY AFTER A CANINET CRISIS LASTING 70 DAYS. HIS MAIN RIVALS HAD BEEN UNABLE TO FORM A GOVERNMENT IN THAT TIME.[SEPTEMBER 19TH]A NEUTRALIST GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL UNION WITH PRINCE SOUVANNA PHOUMA WHO IS MARRIED TO A FRENCH WOMAN AS PRIME MINISTER WAS FORMED. PRINCE SOUPHANOUVONG ,SOUVANNA PHOUMA'S HALF BROTHER AND MARRIED TO A VIETNAMESE COMMUNIST JOINED THE GOVERNMENT, ALONG WITH RIGHT WING ELEMENTS LED BY GENERAL PHOUMI NOSAVAN. PRINCE SOUPHANOUVONG WAS MADE MINISTER OF RECONSTRUCTION AND PLANNING WHILE PHOUMI VONGVICHIT WAS APPOINTED MINISTER OF RELIGION AND FINE ARTS.
1958:[APRIL]UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE UNITED STATES OPERATIONS MISSION, THE SO CALLED PROGRAM EVALUATION OFFICE [A DISGUISED MILITARY MISSION STAFFED BY MILITARY PERSONNEL IN CIVILIAN CLOTHS] COMMENCED OPERATION BOOSTER SHOT. WITH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SUPPLEMENTARY ELECTIONS DUE TO TAKE PLACE, THE US WANTED TO CAPTURE THE RURAL VOTE FROM THE PATHET LAO,SO AMERICAN AID FOR THE FIRST TIME WENT INTO RURAL COMMUNITIES.[MAY 4TH]A SPECIAL ELECTION WAS HELD IN LAOS TO FILL 21 OF THE 59 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SEATS. THE LAO PATRIOTIC FRONT [NLHS]WON NINE OF THE 13 SEATS THEY CONTESTED WHILE ANOTHER LEFT WING PARTY, THE SANTIPHAB [PEACE PARTY], WON FOUR SEATS. THE ELECTIONS WERE THE FIRST HELD WITH FEMALE SUFFRAGE. WHEN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CONVENED, PRINCE SOUPHANOUVONG WAS ELECTED CHAIRMAN.[JUNE 10TH]A COMMITTEE FOR THE DEFENCE OF NATIONAL INTERESTS[CDIN] WAS FORMED BY RIGHT WING MEMBERS OF THE ARMY'S OFFICER CORPS AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. THEY FAVOURED A HARD LINE TOWARDS THE PATHET LAO AND BEGAN DEMANDING MINISTERIAL POSTS IN THE COALITION GOVERNMENT OF SOUVANNA PHOUMA DESPITE HOLDING NO SEATS IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.[JUNE 13TH]THE RALLY OF LAO PEOPLE'S PARTY WAS FORMED BY THE COMBINATION OF THE INDEPENDENT AND PROGRESSIVE PARTIES.[JULY 20TH]THE INTERNATIONAL CONTROL COMMISSION VOTED TO TERMINATE ITS WORK IN LAOS AFTER FAILING TO ACHIEVE THE COOPERATION OF THE PATHET LAO.[JULY 22TH]THE NEUTRALIST COALITION GOVERNMENT OF PRINCE SOUVANNA PHOUMA WAS DISSOLVED. CROWN PRINCE SAVANG VATTHANA ASKED HIM TO FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT, BUT HE STRUGGLED TO DO SO DUE TO THE DEMANDS MADE BY THE COMMITTEE FOR THE DEFENCE OF NATIONAL INTERESTS[CDIN].[AUGUST 18TH]FOLLOWING THE FAILURE OF PRINCE SOUVANNA PHOUMA TO FORM A GOVERNMENT, PHOUMI SANANIKONE WAS APPOINTED PRIME MINISTER, WITH FOUR THE DEFENCE OF NATIONAL INTERESTS[CDIN] MEMBERS HOLDING MINISTRIES. OPPOSED TO ACCOMMODATION WITH THE PATHET LAO, THE NEW GOVERNMENT INVITED US MILITARY INSTRUCTORS TO WORK IN LAOS.[DECEMBER]AFTER AN ARMY PATROL WAS FIRED ON NEAR THE NORTH VIETNAMESE BORDER, THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY GRANTED PRIME MINISTER PHOUI SANANIKONE EMERHENCY POWERS. HE RE SHUFFLED HIS CABINET AND INTRODUCED COLONEL PHOUMI NOSAVAN, A [CDIN] ADHERENT, TO THE MINISTRY.KATAY DON SASORITH, A FORMER PRIME MINISTER DIED AT THE AGED OF 55.
1959:[FEBRUARY 11TH]THE GOVERNMENT OF PHOUI SANANIKONE ANNOUNCED IT WOULD IN FUTURE RECOGNISED THE UN AS THE SOLE ARBITER OF DISPUTES. THEY ALSO DECLARED THAT THE GENEVA PROHIBITION ON OUTSIDE MILITARY AID WAS NO LONGER BINDING.[MARCH]THE PHOUI SANANIKONE GOVERNMENT BANNED THE LAO PATRIOTIC FRONT NEWSPAPER,LAO HAK SAT.[MAY 14TH]

LAOS:INDEX

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