Phoui Sananikone

Phoui Sananikone
ຜຸຍ ຊະນະນິກອນ
Prime Minister of Laos
In office 24 February 1950 – 15 October 1951
Preceded by	Prince Boun Oum
Succeeded by	Crown Prince Sisavang Vatthana
In office 17 August 1958 – 31 December 1959
Preceded by	Prince Souvanna Phouma
Succeeded by	Sounthone Pathammavong
Personal details
Born	6 September 1903
Died	4 December 1983 (1983-12-05) (aged 80) Paris
Political party	Independent Party
Profession	Prime Minister

Phoui Sananikone (6 September 1903 in Laos – 4 December 1983 in Paris) was Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Laos on two occasions in 1950 to 1951 and again from 1958 to 1959, and also served as Foreign Minister on multiple occasions.

Early life

Born in 1903, he was part of the Sananikones, a powerful Laotian aristocratic family.

Premiership

Souvanna Phouma lost a vote of confidence in the National Assembly and was forced to resign. Phoui succeeded Souvanna Phouma, and formed a new cabinet with the support of Committee for the Defence of the National Interests (CDNI) members. The Pathet Lao were no longer represented in the new pro-American government. After taking up office, Sananikone and his ministers shifted Lao policy to the right, dissolved the National Assembly, and denounced the 1954 Geneva truce. Attempts were also made to disperse and neutralize Pathet Lao soldiers who had been integrated into the Royal Lao Army (RLA) a few months earlier. He resigned under right-wing military pressure and handed all power to General Phoumi Nosavan, the head of the RLA.

Post-premiership

He remained part of the political scene as Speaker of the National Assembly from 1960 until 1974. In May 1975 he left for France after the communist takeover. In September that year was sentenced to death in his absence. He died in Paris, aged 80.

References

• New York Times obituary published December 12, 1983
• Gary Y. Lee, REFUGEES FROM LAOS: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND CAUSES, 1990