Phoui Sananikone was Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Laos

Kingdom of Laos

The Kingdom of Laos was a sovereign state from 1953 until December 1975, when Pathet Lao overthrew the government and created the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Given self-rule in 1949 as part of a federation with the rest of French Indochina, the 1953 Franco-Lao Treaty finally established a...

 on two occasions in 1950 to 1951 and again from 1958 to 1959, and also served as Foreign Minister on multiple occasions.

Prime Ministership

Souvanna Phouma

Souvanna Phouma

Prince Souvanna Phouma was the leader of the neutralist faction and prime minister of the Kingdom of Laos several times, from 1951–1952, 1956–1958, 1960 and 1962-1975.-Early life:...

 lost a vote of confidence in the National Assembly and was forced to resign. He succeeded Souvanna Phouma

Souvanna Phouma

Prince Souvanna Phouma was the leader of the neutralist faction and prime minister of the Kingdom of Laos several times, from 1951–1952, 1956–1958, 1960 and 1962-1975.-Early life:...

, and formed a new cabinet with the support of Committee for the Defence of the National Interests (CDNI) members. The Pathet Lao

Pathet Lao

The Pathet Lao was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group was ultimately successful in assuming political power after the Laotian Civil War. The Pathet Lao were always closely associated with Vietnamese communists...

 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

Geneva Conference (1954)

The Geneva Conference was a conference which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, whose purpose was to attempt to find a way to unify Korea and discuss the possibility of restoring peace in Indochina...

. Attempts were also made to disperse and neutralize Pathet Lao soldiers who had been integrated into the Royal Lao Army

Royal Lao Army

The Royal Lao Army was the armed forces of the Kingdom of Laos. Its predecessor was the National Laotian Army - NLA of the French Union, created in 1947 from 'maquis', or guerrilla units gathered by French commandos. It was created in 1954 after the French granted Laos complete autonomy...

 (RLA) a few months earlier. He resigned under right-wing military pressure and handed all power to General Phoumi Nosavan

Phoumi Nosavan

Phoumi Nosavan was a Lao military and political figure of the Vietnam War . Nosavan was of Chinese descent....

, the head of the RLA.