Nouhak Phoumsavanh

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Laotian revolutionary and politician who served as President of Laos from 1992 to 1998

title: "Nouhak Phoumsavanh" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1910-births", "2008-deaths", "laotian-people-of-vietnamese-descent", "members-of-the-1st-central-committee-of-the-lao-people's-party", "members-of-the-2nd-central-committee-of-the-lao-people's-revolutionary-party", "members-of-the-3rd-central-committee-of-the-lao-people's-revolutionary-party", "members-of-the-4th-central-committee-of-the-lao-people's-revolutionary-party", "members-of-the-5th-central-committee-of-the-lao-people's-revolutionary-party", "members-of-the-2nd-politburo-of-the-lao-people's-revolutionary-party", "members-of-the-3rd-politburo-of-the-lao-people's-revolutionary-party", "members-of-the-4th-politburo-of-the-lao-people's-revolutionary-party", "members-of-the-5th-politburo-of-the-lao-people's-revolutionary-party", "members-of-the-2nd-secretariat-of-the-lao-people's-revolutionary-party", "members-of-the-3rd-secretariat-of-the-lao-people's-revolutionary-party", "presidents-of-laos", "presidents-of-the-national-assembly-of-laos", "finance-ministers-of-laos", "deputy-prime-ministers-of-laos", "people-from-mukdahan-province", "laotian-people-of-thai-descent", "recipients-of-the-order-of-the-liberator-general-san-martin"] description: "Laotian revolutionary and politician who served as President of Laos from 1992 to 1998" topic_path: "science/biology" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nouhak_Phoumsavanh" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Laotian revolutionary and politician who served as President of Laos from 1992 to 1998 ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox President"]

FieldValue
nameNouhak Phoumsavanh
native_nameໜູຮັກ ພູມສະຫວັນ
imageNouhak Phoumsavanh LARGE.jpg
office13rd President of Laos
term_start125 November 1992
term_end124 February 1998
primeminister1Khamtay Siphandon
vicepresident1Sisavath Keobounphanh
predecessor1Kaysone Phomvihane
successor1Khamtai Siphandon
office2President of the National Assembly of Laos
convocation22nd term
term_start21 June 1989
term_end225 November 1992
predecessor2Sisomphon Lovansay (acting)
successor2Samane Vignaket
office3Deputy Prime Minister of Laos
convocation31st term
primeminister3Kaysone Phomvihane
term_start32 December 1975
term_end3January 1982
alongside3Phoumi Vongvichit, Phoun Sipaseut and Khamtai Siphandon
office4Minister of Finance
convocation41st term
primeminister4Kaysone Phomvihane
term_start42 December 1975
term_end41983
predecessor4Post established
successor4Yao Phonvantha
office5Head of the LPRP Central Committee Organisation Commission
convocation51st term
1blankname5General Secretary
1namedata5Kaysone Phomvihane
term_start51964
term_end51972
predecessor5Sisomphone Lovansay
successor5Sisomphone Lovansay
birth_date
birth_placeMukdahan, Siam
death_date
death_placeVientiane, Laos
partyLao People's Revolutionary Party
native_name_langlo
::

| name = Nouhak Phoumsavanh | native_name = ໜູຮັກ ພູມສະຫວັນ | image = Nouhak Phoumsavanh LARGE.jpg | caption = | office1 = 3rd President of Laos | term_start1 = 25 November 1992 | term_end1 = 24 February 1998 | primeminister1 = Khamtay Siphandon | vicepresident1 = Sisavath Keobounphanh | predecessor1 = Kaysone Phomvihane | successor1 = Khamtai Siphandon | office2 = President of the National Assembly of Laos | convocation2 = 2nd term | term_start2 = 1 June 1989 | term_end2 = 25 November 1992 | predecessor2 = Sisomphon Lovansay (acting) | successor2 = Samane Vignaket | office3 = Deputy Prime Minister of Laos | convocation3 = 1st term | primeminister3 = Kaysone Phomvihane | term_start3 = 2 December 1975 | term_end3 = January 1982 | alongside3 = Phoumi Vongvichit, Phoun Sipaseut and Khamtai Siphandon | office4 = Minister of Finance | convocation4 = 1st term | primeminister4 = Kaysone Phomvihane | term_start4 = 2 December 1975 | term_end4 = 1983 | predecessor4 = Post established | successor4 = Yao Phonvantha | office5 = Head of the LPRP Central Committee Organisation Commission | convocation5 = 1st term | 1blankname5 = General Secretary | 1namedata5 = Kaysone Phomvihane | term_start5 = 1964 | term_end5 = 1972 | predecessor5 = Sisomphone Lovansay | successor5 = Sisomphone Lovansay | birth_date = | birth_place = Mukdahan, Siam | death_date = | death_place = Vientiane, Laos | party = Lao People's Revolutionary Party | native_name_lang = lo

Nouhak Phoumsavanh or Phoumsavan (; ; 9 April 1910– 9 September 2008) was a longtime Pathet Lao revolutionary and communist party official who was the 3rd President of Laos from 1992 to 1998.

Life

Nouhak was born in Ban Phalouka in Mukdahan Province, Siam (now Thailand) in 1910, according to official sources, although his year of birth has also been given as 1914. He married his first wife, Chanthome, in 1933 and they had four children, Phouthone, Phonesavanh, Khankeo and a son. He later remarried in 1944 to Bounema, who was of Vietnamese descent.

Political career

He was a founding member of the Lao revolutionary movement in 1945, and he became Chairman of the Lao Resistance Committee for the Eastern Region in 1949. In the Lao Resistance Government, he was named Minister of Finance in 1950. He participated in the founding congress of the Lao People's Party (later renamed the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, LPRP) in 1955 and was elected as the second-ranking member of its Central Committee (Deputy Director of the Central Committee).

Nouhak was subsequently the secretary of the Lao People's Party cell in Vientiane, the capital, and was a member of the National Assembly in 1958. He was arrested in 1959 and spent a year in prison in Vientiane before escaping along with Souphanouvong. He was then secretary of the party cell in Khangkhay and had important roles in the party during the 1960s and 1970s, while the Laotian Civil War was ongoing. He was elected to the Politburo at the LPRP's 2nd Congress in February 1972 and was assigned responsibility for economic affairs.

When the Pathet Lao took power in December 1975, Also in 1989, he was chosen as chairman of the commission charged with drafting a new constitution, which was adopted in 1991. With the adoption of this constitution, Kaysone assumed the presidency, which was transformed from a ceremonial to an executive position. After Kaysone's death, Nouhak was elected to succeed him as President of Laos by the Supreme People's Assembly in an extraordinary session on November 25, 1992.

At the same time, Prime Minister Khamtai Siphandon succeeded Kaysone as leader of the LPRP. As a result, despite the presidency's executive powers, Khamtai was now the de facto leader of Laos, outranking Nouhak. When Khamtai decided to move from Prime Minister to President in 1998, Nouhak, who was by then one of the oldest heads of state in the world, retired, leaving office on 24 February 1998.

Nouhak remained on the Central Committee and Politburo of the LPRP until the party's 6th Congress in 1996. At the 6th Congress in 1996 and the 7th Congress in 2001, he was named as Adviser to the Central Committee's Executive Committee. He reportedly remained in good health throughout his old age, and he was said to have continued making visits to the provinces by helicopter until 2007.

Later life

Nouhak died on 9 September 2008 at the age of 98. The state news agency attributed his death simply to "old age", while noting that he had received medical treatment both in Laos and outside the country. He was cremated in Vientiane on 14 September.

In 2011, a memorial honoring him was erected at his birthplace in Mukdahan Province.

Honour

References

References

  1. "ທ່ານ ໜູຮັກ ພູມສະຫວັນ".
  2. [http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/230745,lao-former-president-nouhak-phoumsavanh-dies-at-94.html "Lao former president Nouhak Phoumsavanh dies at 94"], DPA, September 10, 2008.
  3. [http://www.kplnet.net/english/news/edn13.htm "Biography of Comrade Nouhak Phoumsavanh"] {{webarchive. link. (2008-08-28 , Lao News Agency.)
  4. Nouhak was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and [[Minister of Finance of Laos|Minister of Finance]]. For years, he was considered "Number 2" in the leadership under Prime Minister [[Kaysone Phomvihane]]. He was elected as First Vice-Chairman of the Council of Ministers in April 1982, then as a standing member of the Council of Ministers in charge of economic affairs in November 1986. Nouhak was subsequently elected to the Supreme People's Assembly in 1989 and became [[President of the National Assembly of Laos|President of the Supreme People's Assembly]] in the same year.[http://www.na.gov.la/index.php?r=site/detailcontent&id=85&left=196 Speakers]
  5. (12 September 2008). "Nouhak Phoumsavanh, Former President of Laos, Dies at 98". The New York Times.
  6. A committee of 26 members, including leading party and state figures (with President [[Choummaly Sayasone]] as its chairman), was formed to organize his funeral, and a five-day national mourning period was declared for 10–14 September, during which time all entertainment was prohibited.[http://www.kplnet.net/english/news/edn2.htm "National mourning for Mr. Nouhak Phoumsavah"], Lao News Agency.
  7. (2011-09-07). "ลาวข้ามโขงสร้างอนุสรณ์ "หนูฮัก พูมสะหวัน" ในมุกดาหารบ้านเกิด". MGR Online.

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