Prime Minister of Laos

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.

Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic
ນາຍົກລັດຖະມົນຕີ ແຫ່ງ ສປປ ລາວ
Président du Conseil des ministres du Laos
Incumbent
Thongloun Sisoulith
since 20 April 2016
NominatorBounnhang Vorachit
AppointerNational Assembly
Term lengthFive years
Inaugural holderPrince Phetsarath Ratanavongsa
Formation21 August 1941
Laos
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
the Lao People's Democratic Republic
Constitution
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Powers

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

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
Political parties
Other factions

List of prime ministers
No. Prime Minister Term of office Political party Head of state
(Reign/Tenure)
Portrait Name
(Lifespan)		 Took office Left office Time in office
Kingdom of Laos
1 Prince
Phetsarath Ratanavongsa
ເຈົ້າເພັດຊະລາດ ລັດຕະນະວົງ
(1890–1959)[lower-alpha 1]		 21 August
1941[1]		 10 October
1945		 4 years, 50 days Non-partisan
King
Sisavang Vong
(1904–1945)
— Phaya Khammao
(1911–1984)
Chairman of the Provisional Government[lower-alpha 2]		 12 October
1945		 23 April
1946		 193 days Lao Issara
Prince
Phetsarath Ratanavongsa
(1945–1946)
2 Prince
Kindavong
(1900–1951)		 23 April
1946		 15 March
1947		 326 days Non-partisan
King
Sisavang Vong
(1946–1959)
3 Prince
Souvannarath
(1893–1960)		 15 March
1947		 25 March
1948		 1 year, 10 days Non-partisan
4 Prince
Boun Oum
ບຸນອຸ້ມ ນະ ຈຳປາສັກ
(1912–1980)		 25 March
1948		 24 February
1950		 1 year, 305 days Non-partisan
5 Phoui Sananikone
ຜຸຍ ຊະນະນິກອນ
(1903–1983)		 24 February
1950		 15 October
1951		 1 year, 233 days Independent Party
6 Crown Prince
Sisavang Vatthana
ເຈົ້າສີສະຫວ່າງວັດທະນາ
(1907–1978/1984)		 15 October
1951		 21 November
1951		 37 days Non-partisan
7 Prince
Souvanna Phouma
ເຈົ້າສຸວັນນະພູມາ
(1901–1984)		 21 November
1951		 25 October
1954		 2 years, 338 days National Progressive Party
8 Katay Don Sasorith
ກະຕ່າຍ ໂດນສະໂສລິດ
(1904–1959)		 25 October
1954		 21 March
1956		 1 year, 148 days National Progressive Party
(7) Prince
Souvanna Phouma
ເຈົ້າສຸວັນນະພູມາ
(1901–1984)		 21 March
1956		 17 August
1958		 2 years, 149 days National Progressive Party
(5) Phoui Sananikone
ຜຸຍ ຊະນະນິກອນ
(1903–1983)		 17 August
1958		 31 December
1959		 1 year, 136 days Lao People's Rally

King
Sisavang Vatthana
(1959–1975)
— General
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 Non-partisan
10 Prince
Somsanith Vongkotrattana
ເຈົ້າສົມສະນິດ ວົງກົຕຣັຕນະ
(1913–1975)		 3 June
1960		 15 August
1960		 73 days Committee for the Defence of National Interests
(7) Prince
Souvanna Phouma
ເຈົ້າສຸວັນນະພູມາ
(1901–1984)[lower-alpha 3]		 30 August
1960		 13 December
1960		 105 days Lao People's Rally
Quinim Pholsena
ກິນິມ ພົນເສນາ
(1915–1963)
(not recognized)		 11 December
1960		 13 December
1960		 2 days Peace and Neutrality Party
(4) Prince
Boun Oum
ບຸນອຸ້ມ ນະ ຈຳປາສັກ
(1912–1980)		 13 December
1960		 23 June
1962		 1 year, 192 days Non-partisan
(7) Prince
Souvanna Phouma
ເຈົ້າສຸວັນນະພູມາ
(1901–1984)		 23 June
1962		 2 December
1975		 13 years, 162 days Lao Neutralist Party
Lao People's Democratic Republic
11 Kaysone Phomvihane
ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ
(1920–1992)		 8 December
1975		 15 August
1991		 15 years, 250 days Lao People's Revolutionary Party
President
Prince
Souphanouvong
(1975–1991)

Acting President
Phoumi Vongvichit
(1986–1991)
12 Khamtai Siphandon
ຄຳໄຕ ສີພັນດອນ
(born 1924)		 15 August
1991		 24 February
1998		 6 years, 193 days Lao People's Revolutionary Party
President
Kaysone Phomvihane
(1991–1992)

President
Nouhak Phoumsavanh
(1992–1998)
13 Sisavath Keobounphanh
ສີສະຫວາດ ແກ້ວບຸນພັນ
(1928–2020)		 24 February
1998		 27 March
2001		 3 years, 31 days Lao People's Revolutionary Party
President
Khamtai Siphandon
(1998–2006)
14 Bounnhang Vorachith
ບຸນຍັງ ວໍລະຈິດ
(born 1937)		 27 March
2001		 8 June
2006		 5 years, 73 days Lao People's Revolutionary Party
15 Bouasone Bouphavanh
ບົວສອນ ບຸບຜາວັນ
(born 1954)		 8 June
2006		 23 December
2010		 4 years, 198 days Lao People's Revolutionary Party
President
Choummaly Sayasone
(2006–2016)
16 Thongsing Thammavong
ທອງສິງ ທຳມະວົງ
(born 1944)		 23 December
2010		 20 April
2016		 5 years, 119 days Lao People's Revolutionary Party
17 Thongloun Sisoulith
ທອງລຸນ ສີສຸລິດ
(born 1946)		 20 April
2016		 Incumbent 4 years, 117 days Lao People's Revolutionary Party
President
Bounnhang Vorachit
(2016–)

Notes
  1. Under a Japanese puppet state after 8 April 1945. Proclaimed Head of State by Lao Issara on 12 October 1945.
  2. Until 25 October 1949 in exile in Bangkok, Thailand.
  3. From 9 December 1960 in exile in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Trivia

Between December 1959 to December 1960, the Kingdom of Laos had six different prime ministers, who were ousted by six successive political coups.[2]

Living former prime ministers
gollark: What I mean is that if you just read as a bland fact on paper "[bad thing] happened to [person]", you will probably not suddenly gain all the horrible trauma downsides.
gollark: No.
gollark: That's not really knowledge as much as some sort of emotional information though.
gollark: Pretty wrong in that case though.
gollark: I mean, infohazards may exist, sure. I guess that may be true in general.

See also

References
  1. Evans, Grant (2002). A Short history of Laos, the land in between (PDF). Allen & Unwin.
  2. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/four-climate-change-positions-in-one-day-20110309-1bnu3.html
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