Neutralist Government To Coalition
General Phoumi Nosavan then went to Thailand and with the help of its dictator, his mentor Sarit Dhanarajata, returned to Laos to establish a competing capital in Savannakhet. Phoumi proceeded to attack Vientiane, weakened by a Thai blockade, on September 18 but the neutralists with the help of the Pathet Lao and the Soviet Union, repulsed the attack. A coalition government was formed between neutralists, communists and rightists on November 18, 1960. On December 8, Souvanna Phouma relieved Kong Le from his command, but the next day Kong Le deposed Souvanna Phouma (who flew to Phnom Penh with Prince Boun Om and his other ministers) and the leftist minister Quinim Pholsena was appointed premier. A few days later Phoumi took Vientiane and installed Boun Oum (Boun Om's brother) as premier. After more than a year of negotiations a coalition government was formed under the leadership of Souvanna Phouma.
On November 27, 1962 Kong Le was appointed chief of the new army (nominally the merged armies of the neutralist, communist and rightist factions).
Read more about this topic: Kong Le
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