Word: souvanna
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...neutralist Premier of Laos was characteristically expressionless as he spoke, but his words were grave. "Important changes have taken place that some had not expected so suddenly, but they are here," Prince Souvanna Phouma told his countrymen during ceremonies on Constitution Day. "[The new situation] is a great chance to preserve our nation from further bloodshed that would surely take place if one continued to ignore the march of historic events. The war has reached...
...official takeover by the Communists appeared imminent. Then the tempo slowed. The Cabinet patiently waited until its regular Wednesday meeting last week to respond to the resignations of two rightist ministers and two deputy ministers. Instead of insisting that the vacancies be filled by leftists, the Pathet Lao permitted Souvanna to name nominal rightists acceptable to the left. This at least maintains the facade of the year-old coalition Cabinet, which under a 1973 agreement is supposed to contain five rightists, five leftists and two neutralists. "We want the coalition to continue. It will continue," declared a senior Pathet...
...Communists plainly have nothing to fear from the tame rightists in the Cabinet. Earlier in the week, Khamouane Boupha, a Pathet Lao general, had been named acting Defense Minister by Souvanna to replace the rightist Sisouk na Champassak, who had resigned. Boupha immediately issued orders grounding the air force, forbidding all troop movements and demanding declarations of loyalty to the new command from all military units...
...from leftist student and labor groups. More basic, however, has been the right's increasing sense of futility as it has witnessed the coalition - which technically was supposed to divide power equally between the two factions - work almost solely to the advantage of the Pathet Lao. Ailing Prince Souvanna Phouma, the 73-year-old neutralist Premier, has consistently pressured the demoralized and leaderless rightists into accepting the demands of the Pathet Lao Cabinet members. Last summer, for example, the rightist-dominated National Assembly was suspended and later formally dissolved because some of its members had called for the withdrawal...
Laos' de facto legislature has been the Joint National Political Council, headed by the dynamic titular head of the Pathet Lao, "Red Prince" Souphanouvong, 62, who is Souvanna's half brother. Leftists in the Vientiane government have been steadily tightening their control of key ministries (such as Information and Foreign Affairs) and have triggered disruptive strikes by teachers, police and municipal employees...