President of Laos

Head of state of Laos

This article is about the current head of state of Laos. For the head of state during the Kingdom of Laos and before, see List of monarchs of Laos.

President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic

ປະທານປະເທດ ແຫ່ງ ສປປ ລາວ

National Emblem

National Flag

Incumbent
Thongloun Sisoulith

since 22 March 2021

* Executive branch of the State
* Office of the Presidency

Style| His Excellency
Type| Head of state
Member of|

* LPRP Central Committee
* LPRP Politburo
* LPRP Secretariat
* LPRP Defence Commission

Residence| Presidential Palace, Vientiane
Seat| Vientiane
Nominator| Lao People's Revolutionary Party
Appointer| National Assembly
Term length| Five years,
renewable once
Constituting instrument| Constitution of Laos (1991)
Inaugural holder| Souphanouvong
Formation| 2 December 1975
(49 years ago) (1975-12-02)
Deputy| Vice President
Salary| ₭1,170,000 monthly (US$53)[1]

Politics of Laos

Constitution

* Marxism–Leninism
* Kaysone Phomvihane Thought

People's Revolutionary Party

National Congress (11th)

* Rules
* Central Committee (11th)
* General Secretary
* Thongloun Sisoulith
* Secretariat (11th)
* Standing Member
* Bounthong Chitmany
* Politburo (11th)
* Inspection Commission (11th)
* Chairman
* Khamphan Phommathat
* Vice Chairman
* Vilayvanh Boudakham
* Defence and Public Security Commission (11th)
* Chairman
* Thongloun Sisoulith

National Assembly

9th term

* President
* Saysomphone Phomvihane
* Standing Committee (9th)
* President
* Saysomphone Phomvihane
* Presidency (9th)
* President
* Thongloun Sisoulith
* Vice President
* Pany Yathotou
* Bounthong Chitmany
* Government (9th—list)
* Prime Minister
* Phankham Viphavanh
* Deputy Prime Minister
* Chansamone Chanyalath
* Sonexay Siphandone
* Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune
* State Audit Organisation (9th)
* President
* Malaythong Kommasith
* State Inspection Authority (9th)
* President
* Khamphan Phommathat
* Judiciary
* People's Supreme Court (9th)
* President
* Viengthong Siphandone
* Supreme People's Procuracy (9th)
* Supreme Prosecutor
* Xaysana Khotphouthone

Mass organisations

* Front for National Development
* Standing Committee
* President
* Saysomphone Phomvihane
* Women's Union
* Central Committee
*         * President
* Inlavanh Keobounphanh
* Youth Union
* Central Committee
*         * General Secretary
* Alounxay Sounnalath

* Military
* Defense

* Lao People's Armed Forces

Head: Thongloun Sisoulith
* Ministry of Defense

Minister: C. Chanyalath

List

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister: Saleumxay Kommasith

* * *

* Diplomatic missions of / in Laos

* * *

* Passport
* Visa requirements
* Visa policy

Related topics

* Elections
* Administrative divisions

* (provinces
* districts)

* Human rights
* LGBT rights
* Committee for Independence and
Democracy (CIDL)

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Laos portal

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

The president of the Lao People's Democratic Republic is the head of state of Laos. The current president is Thongloun Sisoulith, since 22 March 2021. He was previously elected as the General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, Laos' most powerful position in January 2021, ranking him first in the Politburo.

## History

[edit]

### Background

[edit]

The office of the President of the People's Democratic Republic traces its lineage back to Prince Souphanouvong, the first President of the People's Democratic Republic, a member of the deposed royal family and one of the Three Princes, who became President when the former Kingdom of Laos was overthrown by the Pathet Lao in 1975, at the end of the Laotian Civil War.

## Duties and rights

[edit]

### Term limits

[edit]

The president is elected by the National Assembly for a term of five years, and may serve no more than two terms consecutively. A candidate must receive at least two-thirds support from lawmakers present and voting in order to be elected.[2]

### Role and authority

[edit]

The president represents Laos internally and externally, supervises the work as well as preserving the stability of the national governmental system and safeguards the independence and territorial integrity of the country. The President appoints the prime minister, vice president, ministers and other officials with the consent of the National Assembly. Additionally, the President is the commander-in-chief of the Lao People's Armed Forces.

However, as Laos is a one party communist state, the highest and most powerful political position is the General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, not the President. The general secretary controls the Politburo and the Secretariat, Laos' top decision-making bodies, making the officeholder as de facto leader of Laos. However, the offices have been held concurrently for most of the time since 1998. As such, the president derives most of his power from his post as general secretary.

Since Laos is a one-party state, all the presidents of the People's Democratic Republic have been members of the party while holding office.

## List of presidents

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Name
(Birth–Death) | Term of office  | Election  | Prime minister(s)

|
|
|
|
|

Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
1  |  | Souphanouvong
ສຸພານຸວົງ
(1909–1995) | 2 December 1975  | 29 October 1986  | 10 years, 331 days  | None  | Kaysone Phomvihane
–  |  | Phoumi Vongvichit
ພູມີ ວົງວິຈິດ
(1909–1994)
Acting | 29 October 1986  | 15 August 1991  | 4 years, 290 days  | None
2  |  | Kaysone Phomvihane
ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ
(1920–1992) | 15 August 1991  | 21 November 1992  | 1 year, 98 days  | 1991 | Khamtai Siphandone
3  |  | Nouhak Phoumsavanh
ໜູຮັກ ພູມສະຫວັນ
(1910–2008) | 25 November 1992  | 24 February 1998  | 5 years, 91 days  | None
4  |  | Khamtai Siphandone
ຄຳໄຕ ສີພັນດອນ
(1924–2025) | 24 February 1998  | 8 June 2006  | 8 years, 104 days  | 1996 | Sisavath Keobounphanh
2001 | Bounnhang Vorachit
5  |  | Choummaly Sayasone
ຈູມມະລີ ໄຊຍະສອນ
(born 1936) | 8 June 2006  | 20 April 2016  | 9 years, 317 days  | 2006 | Bouasone Bouphavanh
2011 | Thongsing Thammavong
6  |  | Bounnhang Vorachit
ບຸນຍັງ ວໍລະຈິດ
(born 1937) | 20 April 2016  | 22 March 2021  | 4 years, 336 days  | 2016 | Thongloun Sisoulith
7  |  | Thongloun Sisoulith
ທອງລຸນ ສີສຸລິດ
(born 1945) | 22 March 2021  | Incumbent | 4 years, 148 days  | 2021 | Phankham Viphavanh
Sonexay Siphandone

## Timeline

[edit]

## See also

[edit]

* List of monarchs of Laos
* Prime Minister of Laos
* Vice President of Laos

## References

[edit]

### Specific

[edit]

1. ^ (in Japanese)Bouangeun Ounnalath. "Comparison on Salary System for Government between Lao PDR and Japan" (PDF). Retrieved 18 July 2019.
2. ^ "Lao People's Democratic Republic 1991 (rev. 2015)". constituteproject.org. Retrieved 18 August 2024.

### Bibliography

[edit]

Books:

* Brown, MacAlister; Zasloff, Joseph J. (1986). Apprentice Revolutionaries: The Communist Movement in Laos, 1930–1985. Hoover Institution Press. ISBN 0-8179-8122-5.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
* John, Ronald Bruce St. (2006). Revolution, Reform and Regionalism in Southeast Asia. Routledge. ISBN 0-203-09947-8.
* Norindr, Chou (1982). "Political Institutions of the Lao People's Democratic Republic". In Stuart-Fox, Martin (ed.). Contemporary Laos: Studies in the Politics and Society of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. University of Queensland Press. ISBN 0-7022-1840-5.
* Stuart-Fox, Martin (2008). Historical Dictionary of Laos. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-81086-411-5.
* Stuart-Fox, Martin (1986). Laos: Politics, Economics, and Society. Lynne Rienner Publishers. ISBN 978-1-55587-004-1.

Journal articles:

* Bui, Ngoc Son (2019). "Constitutional amendment in Laos". International Journal of Constitutional Law. 17 (3). Oxford University Press: 756–86\. doi:10.1093/icon/moz067.
* Creak, S. & Sayalath, S. (2017). "Regime Renewal in Laos: The Tenth Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party" (PDF). Southeast Asian Affairs: 179–200\. doi:10.1355/9789814762878-014. S2CID 157560697.`{{cite journal}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
* Creak, Simon (2011). "Laos: Celebrations and Development Debates". Southeast Asian Affairs: 107–128\. doi:10.1355/9789814345040-010. ISBN 9789814345040. JSTOR 41418640. S2CID 155598922.
* Huxley. Andrew (1991). "The Draft Constitution of the Laotian People's Democratic Republic". Review of Socialist Law. 17 (1). Brill Publishers: 75–78\. doi:10.1163/187529891X00037.
* Johnson, Stephen T. (January 1992). "Laos in 1991: Year of the Constitution". Asian Survey. 32 (1). University of California Press: 82–87\. doi:10.2307/2645202. JSTOR 2645202.
* Stuart-Fox, Martin (1991). "The Constitution of the Lao People's Democratic Republic". Review of Socialist Law. 17 (4). Brill Publishers: 299–317\. doi:10.1163/187529891X00244.

Report:

* Brown, MacAlister; Zasloff, Joseph J. (1995). "Chapter 4: Government and Politics". In Savada, Andrea Matles (ed.). Laos: a Country Study (PDF). Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress. pp. 203–52.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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