The Agreement of 21 February 1973 on the restoration of peace and national concord in Laos, formally signed in Vientiane by the Government Office in Vientiane and the Lao Patriotic Forces Delegation "Pathet Lao", this Agreement constitutes a sum repetition of a part of the Zurich Agreement of June 22, 1961, on the other agreements between the Lao Patriotic Front and the Royal Lao Government in 1956-57, and 5-point proposal advanced by March 6, 1970 Lao Patriotic Front. Developed in 14 articles, stipulates the following key points:
-Independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Laos, neutrality with the recall of the 1962 Geneva Agreement on Laos; non-interference foreign application of democratic freedoms of the people (Article 1);
-Cessation of hostilities, maintaining two provisional zones, the creation of a joint commission to implement the cease-fire, the prohibition of retaliation, the introduction of troops, armaments and ordnance in Laos and the withdrawal of all military personnel, regular troops and the dissolution of foreign military and paramilitary organizations and special forces of foreign countries are mutually release prisoners and military within 60 days formation of the Provisional Government of National Unity and National Policy Advisory Council (Articles 2-5);
Them free and democratic general elections to form a government of national unity definitive; training within 30 days from the date of the signing of the Interim Government of National Unity and National Policy Advisory Board containing an equal number of representatives of both Parties, invested by the king and operating according to the principle of unanimity, the neutralization of the royal capital of Luang Prabang and Vientiane, the administrative capital, the temporary management of the two zones by each party and the progressive establishment of normal relations between the two areas (articles 6 to 10);
-Creation and the role of the Joint Committee for the implementation of agreements and the role of the international commission for monitoring and control consists of India, Poland and Canada, with India as Chairman (Articles 11 to 12).
The Agreement of February 21 is supplemented by a second agreement called Memorandum of Agreement of 21 February 1973.
Government delegation in Vientiane
THE PROTOCOL OF 14 SEPTEMBER 1973.
If the Agreement of 21 February 1973 provides for the training within 30 days of the Provisional Government of National Unity and National Policy Advisory Council, the Protocol of September 14, defines the procedure for implementing the various clauses contained therein.
1 -) The Interim Government of National Unity bipartite
Under the provisions of the Protocol, the Provisional Government of National Unity and National Policy Advisory Council is formed the same day, April 5, 1974.
The interim government comprises 12 ministries and 26 members, including Prime Minister Prince Souvanna Phouma, and 2 figures working for peace, independence, neutrality and democracy.
Bipartite structure, it comprises an equal number of ministers and state secretaries from each of the two Lao Party: Part of the Vientiane government and the Party of Patriotic Forces Lao. Either: five ministerial portfolios, including the post of deputy prime minister, six secretaries of state portfolios, each Secretary of State as assistant to a minister belonging to the opposing party. From this assay it appears that apparently the government left Lao has a number of concessions to the right. Indeed reserving it most key ministries such as defense, interior, finance, she merely considered secondary departments, such as cults, information and tourism, public works , economics, foreign affairs. Just as knowing that the Prince Souvanna Phouma has long rallied to the right, she still consented to his chairmanship of the provisional government of national unity Furthermore this assay reflects government compared to in 1962 an increase of the left Lao. As it rose from 4 ministerial portfolios in June 1962 to 11 portfolios, including 6 secretaries of state in April 1974. With bipartisanship in the assay government devotes the disappearance of the de facto neutralists although they were predominant in 1962 to have held ministerial portfolios 8 of 16 (or half). Also suffer from the effects of the juggernaut of Vietnamese and Cambodian revolutionaries who liberated in the month of April throughout South Vietnam and Cambodia, the provisional government began to falter and knows the signs of internal instability, because in Following the forced resignation on June 16, 8 and 9 July 1975, 6 members of government, all belonging to the Party in Vientiane, were held three cabinet reshuffles. They spent the final disposal of the right and the strengthening of the left that has benefited from the fact the competition at least at government level of 6 persons in favor of peace and the policy of the Lao Patriotic Front.
Finally under Article 4 of Protocol at the Vientiane Agreement, which stipulates the principle of unanimity of view between each holder of a department and his deputy, the Protocol contains within itself the germ of paralysis. For if the former has no power over the second, in fact, the administrative hierarchy is abolished while the Secretary of State has become simply a political counterweight to his supervisor, the Minister.
Delegation of Patriotic Forces "Pathet Lao"
2 -) The National Advisory Council Policy
Since in the transient doing the Agreement of 21 February and the Protocol of 14 September 1973 there is no question of knowing any jurisdiction existing in the Assembly, the Lao revolutionaries managed a tour de force by accepted by the Party of the Vientiane government creating a new institution as the National Advisory Board policy. This is called to replace the previous House and was assigned by its founders as an advisory role through legislation.
1. Structure of the National Advisory Council policy.
According to the provisions of article 5 of the Vientiane Agreement, the Council consists of 42 members that are distributed as follows: 16 for the Party of Patriotic Forces, Part 16 for Vientiane government and 10 individuals selected mutually agreed upon by these two parties.
As regards its internal arrangement, the Board comprises:
A / a Standing Committee consisting of 10 members contributed equally to representatives of two parties and wearing a President, namely the Prince Souphanouvong, representative of the Party of Patriotic Forces, 2 vice presidents, each representing each Party, the first belonging to the Patriotic Party, holding the office of Secretary General (Article 5 of the Protocol).
B / 6 committees,
C / administrative office
Signing ceremony of the agreement in Vientiane in 1973, from left to right: Mr. and Mr. Pheng Phonsavanh Phoumi Vongvichith
2. Operation of the Board
Like what is in effect in the functioning of government, the Council operates on the principle of equality and unanimity of views between the two Parties. It meets only 2 times a year, each session only lasts a month. For the rest of time is the standing committee that works on its behalf.
3. Board's jurisdiction
Under the provisions of Article 7 of the Protocol is seen that the Council is an assembly having the same jurisdiction as the government. On the other hand, according to the same article, it appears that it exceeds the government policy and legislative jurisdiction because the latter must concurrently examine laws and regulations relating to general elections and the recommendations adopted by it.
