- Souphanouvong
Infobox President
name = Souphanouvong
order = 1stPresident of Laos
primeminister =Kaysone Phomvihane
vicepresident =
term_start =2 December ,1975
term_end =15 August 1991
predecessor =
successor =Phoumi Vongvichit
birth_date =July 13 1909
birth_place =Luang Phrabang ,Laos
death_date =January 9 ,1995 (aged 85)
death_place =Vientiane
spouse = Viengkham Souphanouvong
party = PPPLPrince Souphanouvong (July 13 ,1909 -January 9 ,1995 ) was, along with his half-brother PrinceSouvanna Phouma and PrinceBoun Oum ofChampasak , one of the “Three Princes ” who represented respectively the communist (pro-Vietnam), neutralist, and royalist political factions inLaos . He was the figureheadPresident of Laos from December 1975 to August 1991.Souphanouvong was one of the sons of Prince
Bounkhong , the last vice-king ofLuang Prabang . Unlike his half-brothers,Souvanna Phouma andPhetsarath , whose mothers were of royal birth, his mother was a commoner,Mom Kham Ouane .Educated in
France andVietnam , he eventually became a supporter ofHo Chi Minh and joined the Indochinese communist movement.Nicknamed “The Red Prince”, he became the figurehead leader of the
Lao People's Revolutionary Party , and upon its successful seizure of power in 1975, he became the first President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. After 1986,Phoumi Vongvichit was Acting President, and when strongmanKaysone Phomvihane decided to establish an executive presidency in 1991, Souphanouvong was relieved of even an inactive-figurehead role.He is said to have been the most talented of
Bounkhong ’s sons, mastering eight languages, including Greek and Latin. He worked on the ports ofLe Havre before taking his engineering degree from theÉcole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées .External links
* [http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/54/056.html Souphanouvong, "Red Prince" of Laos, dies aged 86]
* [http://historyoflaos.tripod.com/souphanouvong.gifSouphanouvong's photo]
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