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 | |
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| Nominator | Bounnhang Vorachit |
| Appointer | National Assembly |
| Term length | Five years |
| Inaugural holder | Prince Phetsarath Ratanavongsa |
| Formation | 21 August 1941 |
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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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Ideology |
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Legislature
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Executive
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Mass organizations
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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 | .jpg) |
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 | ||
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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
- Under a Japanese puppet state after 8 April 1945. Proclaimed Head of State by Lao Issara on 12 October 1945.
- Until 25 October 1949 in exile in Bangkok, Thailand.
- 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
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Prime Ministers of Laos. |
Khamtai Siphandon
served 1991–1998
born 1924 (age 96)Bounnhang Vorachith
served 2001–2006
born 1938 (age 83)Bouasone Bouphavanh
served 2006–2010
born 1954 (age 66)Thongsing Thammavong
served 2010–2016
born 1944 (age 76)
References
- Evans, Grant (2002). A Short history of Laos, the land in between (PDF). Allen & Unwin.
- http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/four-climate-change-positions-in-one-day-20110309-1bnu3.html
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| Kingdom of Laos (1945–1975) | |
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| Lao People's Democratic Republic (1975–) | |
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