President of Laos

President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic ປະທານປະເທດ ແຫ່ງ ສປປ ລາວ Président de la République démocratique populaire lao
National Emblem
National Flag
Incumbent Thongloun Sisoulith since 22 March 2021
Executive branch of the State
Style	His Excellency
Type	Head of state
Member of	LPRP Central Committee LPRP Politburo LPRP Secretariat
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
Inaugural holder	Souphanouvong
Formation	2 December 1975 (45 years ago) (1975-12-02)
Deputy	Vice President
Salary	1,170,000 Kip per month[1]

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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[]

Background[]

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 overthrow by the Pathet Lao in 1975, at the end of the Laotian Civil War.

Pre-constitutional period (1975–91)[]

Constitutional system (1991–present)[]

List of Living Former President of Laos[]

Duties and rights[]

Term limits[]

The president is elected by the National Assembly for a term of five years, with no term limits. A candidate must receive at least two-thirds support from lawmakers present and voting in order to be elected.

Role and authority[]

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.

However, Laos is a one party Marxism–Leninism communist state. The highest and the most powerful political position is 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.

Additionally, the President is the commander-in-chief of the Lao People's Armed Forces. Since Laos is a one-party state, with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party as the only legally permitted party, all the presidents of the People's Democratic Republic have been members of the party while holding office.

Officeholders[]

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			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	Kaysone Phomvihane
–		Phoumi Vongvichit ພູມີ ວົງວິຈິດ (1909–1994) Acting	29 October 1986	15 August 1991	4 years, 290 days	Kaysone Phomvihane
2		Kaysone Phomvihane ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ (1920–1992)	15 August 1991	21 November 1992	1 year, 98 days	Khamtai Siphandon
3		Nouhak Phoumsavanh ໜູຮັກ ພູມສະຫວັນ (1910–2008)	25 November 1992	24 February 1998	5 years, 91 days	Khamtai Siphandon
4		Khamtai Siphandon ຄຳໄຕ ສີພັນດອນ (born 1924)	24 February 1998	8 June 2006	8 years, 104 days	Sisavath Keobounphanh Bounnhang Vorachith
5		Choummaly Sayasone ຈູມມະລີ ໄຊຍະສອນ (born 1936)	8 June 2006	20 April 2016	9 years, 317 days	Bouasone Bouphavanh Thongsing Thammavong
6		Bounnhang Vorachith ບຸນຍັງ ວໍລະຈິດ (born 1937)	20 April 2016	22 March 2021	4 years, 336 days	Thongloun Sisoulith
7		Thongloun Sisoulith ທອງລຸນ ສີສຸລິດ (born 1945)	22 March 2021	Incumbent	178 days	Phankham Viphavanh

See also[]

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

References[]

Specific[]

Bibliography[]

Books:

• Brown, MacAlister; Zasloff, Joseph J. (1986). Apprentice Revolutionaries: The Communist Movement in Laos, 1930–1985. Hoover Institution Press. ISBN 0-8179-8122-5.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". . Oxford University Press. 17 (3): 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). : 179–200. doi:10.1355/9789814762878-014.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Creak, Simon (2011). "Laos: Celebrations and Development Debates". : 107–128. doi:10.1355/9789814345040-010. JSTOR 41418640.
• Huxley. Andrew (1991). "The Draft Constitution of the Laotian People's Democratic Republic". Review of Socialist Law. Brill Publishers. 17 (1): 75–78. doi:10.1163/187529891X00037.
• Johnson, Stephen T. (January 1992). "Laos in 1991: Year of the Constitution". Asian Survey. 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. Brill Publishers. 17 (4): 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.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)