Government

Government#

communist party-led state

System

communist party-led state

Capital

Vientiane (Viangchan)

Head of state

President THONGLOUN Sisoulith (since 22 March 2021)

Head of government

Prime Minister SONEXAY (also spelled SONXAI) Siphandon (since 30 December 2022)

Legislature

legislature name: National Assembly (Sapha Heng Xat); legislative structure: unicameral; number of seats: 164 (all directly elected); electoral system: plurality/majority; scope of elections: full renewal; term in office: 5 years; most recent election date: 2/21/2021; parties elected and seats per party: Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) (158); Other (6); percentage of women in chamber: 22%; expected date of next election: February 2026

Judiciary

highest court(s): People’s Supreme Court (consists of the court president and organized into criminal, civil, administrative, commercial, family, and juvenile chambers, each with a vice president and several judges); judge selection and term of office: president of People’s Supreme Court appointed by the National Assembly upon the recommendation of the president of the republic for a 5-year term; vice presidents of the People’s Supreme Court appointed by the president of the republic upon the recommendation of the National Assembly; appointment of chamber judges NA; tenure of court vice presidents and chamber judges NA; subordinate courts: appellate courts; provincial, municipal, district, and military courts

Constitution

history: previous 1947 (pre-independence); latest promulgated 13-15 August 1991; amendment process: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership and promulgation by the president of the republic

Independence

19 July 1949 (from France); 22 October 1953 (Franco-Lao Treaty recognizes full independence)

Administrative divisions

17 provinces ( khoueng , singular and plural) and 1 prefecture* ( kampheng nakhon ); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxay, Champasak, Houaphanh, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphabang (Luang Prabang), Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun, Xekong, Xiangkhouang

Departments#

TODO. Ministries and authoritative sites, to be filled out.

Hierarchy#

How power is wired. The diagram below carries the generic template; refine the boxes and edges to match the current regime.

        flowchart TD
  HoS["Head of State"]
  HoG["Head of Government"]
  Leg["Legislature"]
  Jud["Judiciary"]
  Cab["Cabinet"]
  Foreign["Foreign Affairs"]
  Interior["Interior"]
  Defense["Defense"]
  Finance["Finance"]
  Justice["Justice"]

  HoS --> HoG
  HoG --> Cab
  Cab --> Foreign
  Cab --> Interior
  Cab --> Defense
  Cab --> Finance
  Cab --> Justice
  HoS -.- Leg
  HoS -.- Jud

Resources#

Public-facing portals the people use day to day. Operators monitor these for policy changes, official notices, and civil-registry data.

Resource

Site

Purpose

National portal

to be filled

One-stop government services for citizens.

Tax / revenue

to be filled

Income tax, VAT, customs.

Civil registry

to be filled

Births, deaths, marriages, national ID.

Immigration

to be filled

Visas, residency, naturalisation.

Health

to be filled

Public health, advisories, vaccination records.

Education

to be filled

Curricula, school directories, transcripts.

Statistics

to be filled

Census, economic indicators, opendata.

Police / emergency

to be filled

Reporting, missing persons, emergency contacts.
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