Phoumi Vongvichit

Phoumi Vongvichit ( born April 6, 1909 in Xieng Khouang province, Laos, † January 7, 1994 ) was a Laotian politician of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party ( LPRP ).

Life and work

Vongvichit joined in 1950 the movement " Free Laos " (Lao Issara ) at which wanted to prevent the re-conquest of the country by the French colonial authorities after the end of World War II. After the split in the Lao Issara 1955 he joined the more Stalinist- dominated Bewegenung with " Laos " ( Pathet Lao ), the Secretary General, he was then. In 1961 he was a representative of the Pathet Lao during the negotiations in Geneva, in 1962 provided an end to the civil war in Laos.

In the following years he was in the Prime Minister Suvanna Phūmā between June 1962 and December 1975 led governments, among others, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, and most recently from 1974 to 1975 Minister of Foreign Affairs.

After the deposition of the monarchy under King Savang Vatthana and the founding of the People's Democratic Republic on 2 December 1975, he took over in the Lao People's Revolutionary Party ( LPRP ) formed government under Prime Minister Kaysone Phomvihane turn the office of the Minister of Education. In this role he was responsible for the re-education of thousands of royalist supporters of the previous government. He also tried socialism with Buddhism connect and forced Buddhist monks the party line in their sermons take. As time was Vongvichit, who was also a member of the Political Bureau of the LPRP, the second most powerful man after Prime Minister and General Secretary Phomvihane.

On 31 October 1986 he was second acting president for the diseased indefinitely incumbent Souphanouvong. After the adoption of the new Constitution on 14 August 1991, he was replaced by Kaysone Phomvihane as president.