441. Editorial Note
After extended postponement of debate by the Lao National Assembly on the Pathet Lao problem, Souvanna Phouma addressed the Assembly on May 27 reviewing past negotiations, assessing the present situation, and setting forth his government’s future policies. The Lao Prime Minister listed what he considered constituted progress in the negotiations and chided the Pathet Lao for their attempts to impose their own view of the relationship between political parties and the state. Souvanna Phouma outlined his future policies as a continuation of efforts to obtain a satisfactory settlement with the Pathet Lao based on a solution which would be arrived at independently and which would not endanger the Lao constitution or the sovereignty of the legal government. Telegram 1990 from Vientiane, May 27, not printed, contains an extensive summary of the speech. (Department of State, Central Files, 751J.13/5–2757)
On May 29 the National Assembly brought down the Souvanna government by failing to approve its future policies by a vote of 11 to 13. The Embassy’s immediate analysis of what it termed the “strange and unexpected debacle” of Souvanna Phouma’s defeat is in telegram 2012 from Vientiane, not printed. (Ibid., 751J.00/5–2957) A summary of the 3-day debate is in despatch 251 from Vientiane, June 4, not printed. (Ibid., 751J.00/6–457) On May 30 Souvanna Phouma resigned.