Prime Minister of Laos
| Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic | |
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| Nominator | Bounnhang Vorachit |
| Appointer | National Assembly |
| Term length | Five years |
| Inaugural holder | Prince Phetsarath Ratanavongsa |
| Formation | 15 September 1945 |
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| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic |
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The Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic is the head of government of Laos. It is the highest office within the Central Government.
Contents
Powers[edit]
Throughout its history the office of Prime Minister has been responsible, at least in theory but not always in practice, for handling Laos's internal policies. Since Laos is a one-party state with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party being the sole party allowed by the constitution, all the prime ministers of the People's Democratic Republic have been members of the party while holding office.
The current prime minister is Thongloun Sisoulith, since 20 April 2016. He is second-ranked in the Political Bureau (Politburo).
The Prime Minister is elected by the proposal of the President of Laos to the National Assembly and is responsible to the National Assembly, which elects all ministers to government. Activity reports by the Prime Minister must be given to the National Assembly, while the Standing Committee of the National Assembly supervises the activities of the Central Government and the Prime Minister. Finally, the deputies of the National Assembly have the right to question the Prime Minister and other members of government.
Office[edit]
The Office of the Prime Minister of the People's Democratic Republic traces its lineage back to Kaysone Phomvihane, the first Prime Minister of the People's Democratic Republic. The predecessor office to the Prime Minister of the People's Democratic Republic was the Prime Minister of the former Kingdom of Laos. There have been 7 prime ministers of the People's Democratic Republic, but there have been 17 prime ministers of Laos if the prime ministers of the Kingdom of Laos are counted.
Key[edit]
- Political parties
- Other factions
- Military (FAR)
List of Prime Ministers of Laos (1945–present)[edit]
Kingdom of Laos (1945–1975)[edit]
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of Office | Political Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took Office | Left Office | Time in Office | ||||
| 1 | 
|
Phetsarath Ratanavongsa (1890–1959) Under Japanese occupation. Later proclaimed "Head of State" |
8 April 1945 | 20 October 1945 | 195 days | Lao Issara |
| — | 
|
Phaya Khammao (1911–1984) Chairman of the Provisional Government |
20 October 1945 | 23 April 1946 | 185 days | Lao Issara |
| 2 |
|
Kindavong (1900–1951) |
23 April 1946 | 15 March 1947 | 326 days | Independent |
| 3 |
|
Souvannarath (1893–1960) |
15 March 1947 | 25 April 1948 | 1 year, 41 days | Independent |
| 4 | 
|
Boun Oum (1912–1980) |
25 March 1948 | 24 February 1950 | 1 year, 305 days | Independent |
| 5 |
|
Phoui Sananikone (1903–1983) |
24 February 1950 | 15 October 1951 | 1 year, 233 days | Neutralist |
| 6 | 
|
Savang Vatthana (1907–1978?) |
15 October 1951 | 21 November 1951 | 37 days | Independent |
| 7 | 
|
Souvanna Phouma (1901–1984) |
21 November 1951 | 25 October 1954 | 2 years, 338 days | National Progressive Party |
| 8 |
|
Katay Don Sasorith (1904–1959) |
25 October 1954 | 21 March 1956 | 1 year, 148 days | National Progressive Party |
| (7) |
|
Souvanna Phouma (1901–1984) |
21 March 1956 | 17 August 1958 | 2 years, 149 days | National Progressive Party |
| (5) |
|
Phoui Sananikone (1903–1983) |
17 August 1958 | 31 December 1959 | 1 year, 136 days | Neutralist |
| — |
|
Sounthone Pathammavong (1911–1985) Army Chief of Staff |
31 December 1959 | 7 January 1960 | 7 days | Committee for the Defence of National Interests / FAR (ARL) |
| 9 |
|
Kou Abhay (1892–1964) |
7 January 1960 | 3 June 1960 | 148 days | Independent |
| 10 |
|
Somsanith Vongkotrattana (1913–1975) |
3 June 1960 | 15 August 1960 | 73 days | Committee for the Defence of National Interests |
| (7) |
|
Souvanna Phouma (1901–1984) |
30 August 1960[1] | 13 December 1960 | 105 days | Lao Neutralist Front |
|
|
Quinim Pholsena (1915–1963) (not recognized) |
11 December 1960 | 13 December 1960 | 2 days | Peace and Neutrality Party | |
| (4) |
|
Boun Oum (1912–1980) |
13 December 1960 | 23 June 1962 | 1 year, 192 days | Independent |
| (7) |
|
Souvanna Phouma (1901–1984) |
23 June 1962 | 2 December 1975 | 13 years, 162 days | Lao Neutralist Front |
- Trivia
Between December 1959 to December 1960, Laos had six different Prime Ministers, who were ousted by six successive political coups.[2]
Lao People's Democratic Republic (1975–present)[edit]
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of Office | Political Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took Office | Left Office | Time in Office | ||||
| 11 | 
|
Kaysone Phomvihane (1920–1992) |
8 December 1975 | 15 August 1991 | 15 years, 250 days | Lao People's Revolutionary Party |
| 12 | .png)
|
Khamtai Siphandon (1924–) |
15 August 1991 | 24 February 1998 | 6 years, 193 days | Lao People's Revolutionary Party |
| 13 | 
|
Sisavath Keobounphanh (1928–) |
24 February 1998 | 27 March 2001 | 3 years, 31 days | Lao People's Revolutionary Party |
| 14 | 
|
Bounnhang Vorachith (1938–) |
27 March 2001 | 8 June 2006 | 5 years, 73 days | Lao People's Revolutionary Party |
| 15 | 
|
Bouasone Bouphavanh (1954–) |
8 June 2006 | 23 December 2010 | 4 years, 198 days | Lao People's Revolutionary Party |
| 16 | 
|
Thongsing Thammavong (1944–) |
23 December 2010 | 20 April 2016 | 5 years, 119 days | Lao People's Revolutionary Party |
| 17 | 
|
Thongloun Sisoulith (1946–) |
20 April 2016 | Incumbent | 2 years, 231 days | Lao People's Revolutionary Party |
Living former prime ministers[edit]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Prime Ministers of Laos. |
Khamtai Siphandon
served 1991–1998
born 1924 (age 94)
Sisavath Keobounphanh
served 1998–2001
born 1928 (age 90)
Bounnhang Vorachith
served 2001–2006
born 1938 (age 80)
Bouasone Bouphavanh
served 2006–2010
born 1954 (age 64)
Thongsing Thammavong
served 2010–2016
born 1944 (age 74)
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ From 9 December 1960, in exile in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- ^ http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/four-climate-change-positions-in-one-day-20110309-1bnu3.html
| Kingdom of Laos (1945–1975) | |
|---|---|
| Lao People's Democratic Republic (1975–) | |
† military | |
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