Prime Minister of Laos facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic
National flag
National emblem
Incumbent Sonexay Siphandone since 30 December 2022
Executive branch Office of the Prime Minister
Style	Your Excellency
Member of	LPRP Central Committee LPRP Politburo
Residence	Building of the Office of the Prime Minister
Seat	Vientiane
Nominator	President
Appointer	National Assembly
Term length	Maximum of two five-year terms
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Laos Law on Government
Inaugural holder	Phetsarath Ratanavongsa
Formation	21 August 1941
Deputy	Deputy Prime Minister

The Prime Minister of Laos is the main leader of the government in Laos. This important job was once called the Chairman of the Council of Government. The Prime Minister works for the President, the National Assembly, and the country's only legal political group, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). The current Prime Minister is Sonexay Siphandone, who started his role in 2022.

The first time a Prime Minister was appointed in Laos was in 1941, for the Kingdom of Luang Phrabang. Later, the Constitution of the Kingdom of Laos in 1947 officially created the position of Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Laos. When the Kingdom ended in 1975, the Lao People's Democratic Republic was formed. The new government also kept the role of Prime Minister. In 1991, a new Constitution was approved, making the Prime Minister answerable to the President.

To become Prime Minister, a person must be at least 20 years old. While the law doesn't directly say it, all Prime Ministers since 1975 have been members of the LPRP's top groups: the Central Committee and the Politburo.

The President suggests who should be Prime Minister, and then the National Assembly votes. The person needs more than half the votes to be chosen. A Prime Minister can serve for a maximum of two five-year terms. The Prime Minister is in charge of how the government works. They can suggest who should be appointed or removed from important government jobs, like ministers or provincial governors. They also watch over how government bodies at all levels are doing their work.

History of the Prime Minister Role

Early Beginnings

Laos' first head of government was Phetsarath Ratanavongsa, who became Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Luang Phrabang in 1941. In 1946, the Kingdom of Laos was formed, uniting the country. A new constitution was created in 1947, which officially set up the Prime Minister's job for the Kingdom of Laos. Prince Souvannarat was the first Prime Minister under this new system. The Kingdom of Laos had seven Prime Ministers before it ended in 1975.

From Kingdom to Republic

On December 2, 1975, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) was established. The role of Prime Minister was created for this new republic. Many of the new government's ideas came from other socialist countries, especially Vietnam. The new government and its leader, the Prime Minister, were meant to carry out the decisions of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP).

At first, the government was called the Council of Government. It was responsible for all parts of the country's life: politics, economy, culture, social matters, security, defense, and foreign relations. The first Prime Minister of the Lao PDR was Kaysone Phomvihane, who was also the leader of the LPRP. His deputies were also high-ranking party members. This showed that the party had a lot of power over the government.

In 1982, a law was passed that changed the Prime Minister's title to Chairman of the Council of Government. This law aimed to make sure decisions were made by a group (called "collective leadership") rather than just one person.

Changes with the Constitution

In 1991, the first constitution of the Lao People's Democratic Republic was approved. This constitution changed the Chairman of the Council of Government back to Prime Minister. It also made the President more powerful and reduced some of the Prime Minister's direct powers. For example, the President gained the right to appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister and ministers.

Later, the constitution was updated in 2013 and 2015. The 2015 changes gave the National Assembly the power to appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister and the government. This took away that power from the President. These changes were made to reflect the country's development and the party's new policies.

Becoming Prime Minister

Who Can Be Prime Minister?

The constitution says that any Lao citizen aged 18 or older can vote, and those aged 20 or older can be elected to office. This applies to the Prime Minister's role too. The law also states that the government works with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party as its main guide. This means that the Prime Minister and other government leaders are chosen because they will carry out the party's decisions.

Since the Prime Minister's office was created, every person in that role has been a top official in the LPRP. From 1975 to 1991, the leader of the LPRP was also the Prime Minister. However, since 1998, the LPRP leader usually holds the position of President instead. Still, every Prime Minister since 1975 has been a member of the LPRP's Central Committee and its Politburo.

What the Prime Minister Does

How Long They Serve

The Prime Minister leads the government's executive branch, which is the part of government that carries out laws. The government includes the Prime Minister, deputy prime ministers, and ministers. The government serves for the same length of time as the National Assembly, which is a maximum of five years. No government official, including the Prime Minister, can hold their office for more than two terms in a row. This means a person can be Prime Minister for a maximum of ten years. The old government leaves office when the new one is approved by the National Assembly. A Prime Minister can also resign if they cannot do their job.

Government Responsibilities

The constitution and the Law on Government explain what the government and Prime Minister must do. They are responsible for making sure the constitution and all laws passed by the National Assembly are followed. The government can also suggest new laws to the National Assembly.

The government has the power to issue rules and decisions about the economy, social matters, how the state is organized, and how science and technology are managed. They also handle national resources, the environment, defense, security, and foreign relations. The government creates plans for the country's economy and budget, which are then reviewed by the National Assembly.

With the National Assembly's approval, the government can create, combine, separate, or close down ministries, provinces, and cities. They can also suggest changes to city and province borders. The government is responsible for teaching people about the constitution and making sure everyone respects it. They also protect the rights of all citizens, including those living abroad. The government can grant or take away citizenship and can suggest giving amnesty (a pardon) to the President.

Prime Minister's Authority

As the head of government, the Prime Minister leads government meetings. They have the right to guide and control all government activities. This includes directing ministries, other government organizations, and local administrations. The Prime Minister makes sure that plans and rules approved by the National Assembly are put into action.

The Prime Minister can suggest changes to the government's team. They can propose to the National Assembly who should be appointed, moved, or removed as a deputy prime minister, minister, or head of a ministry-level department. At the local level, the Prime Minister can suggest the appointment or removal of provincial governors and mayors. In the armed forces, the Prime Minister can promote or demote colonels and suggest to the President the promotion or demotion of generals. They can also suggest to the President who should be appointed or removed as a Laotian ambassador to other countries.

With the National Assembly's approval, the Prime Minister can approve, cancel, or withdraw from international agreements. They can also issue orders and decisions to carry out policies, laws, and state plans. The Prime Minister can temporarily stop or cancel decisions made by ministries or local administrations if they go against laws, except for court decisions. Each year, the Prime Minister reports on the government's work to the President and the National Assembly.

List of Prime Ministers

Prime Ministers of the Kingdom of Laos

No.	Prime Minister		Term of office			Political party		Monarch (Reign)
	Portrait	Name (Lifespan)	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Prince Phetsarath Ratanavongsa ເຈົ້າເພັດຊະຣາດ ຣັຕນະວົງສາ (1890–1959)	21 August 1941	10 October 1945	4 years, 50 days		Non-partisan	King Sisavang Vong (1904–1945)
—		Phaya Khammao ພະຍາ ຄຳມ້າວ (1911–1984)	12 October 1945	23 April 1946	193 days		Lao Issara	Prince Phetsarath Ratanavongsa (1945–1946)
2		Prince Kindavong ເຈົ້າກິນດາວົງສ໌ (1900–1951)	23 April 1946	15 March 1947	326 days		Non-partisan	King Sisavang Vong (1946–1959)
3		Prince Souvannarath ເຈົ້າສຸວັນນະຣາດ (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 ສູນທອນ ປະຖຳມະວົງ (1911–1985)	31 December 1959	7 January 1960	7 days		Committee for the Defence of National Interests / FAR (ARL)
9		Kou Abhay ກຸ ອະໄພ (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)	30 August 1960	13 December 1960	105 days		Lao People's Rally
		Quinim Pholsena ກວີນິມ ພົລເສນາ (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

Prime Ministers of the Lao People's Democratic Republic

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			President(s)
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Kaysone Phomvihane ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ (1920–1992)	8 December 1975	15 August 1991	15 years, 250 days	Souphanouvong
						Phoumi Vongvichit
2		Khamtai Siphandone ຄຳໄຕ ສີພັນດອນ (born 1924)	15 August 1991	16 February 1998	6 years, 193 days	Kaysone Phomvihane
						Nouhak Phoumsavanh
3		Sisavath Keobounphanh ສີສະຫວາດ ແກ້ວບຸນພັນ (1928–2020)	16 February 1998	27 March 2001	3 years, 31 days	Khamtai Siphandon
4		Bounnhang Vorachit ບຸນຍັງ ວໍລະຈິດ (born 1937)	27 March 2001	8 June 2006	5 years, 73 days
5		Bouasone Bouphavanh ບົວສອນ ບຸບຜາວັນ (born 1954)	8 June 2006	23 December 2010	4 years, 198 days	Choummaly Sayasone
6		Thongsing Thammavong ທອງສິງ ທຳມະວົງ (born 1944)	23 December 2010	20 April 2016	5 years, 119 days
7		Thongloun Sisoulith ທອງລຸນ ສີສຸລິດ (born 1945)	20 April 2016	22 March 2021	4 years, 336 days	Bounnhang Vorachith
8		Phankham Viphavanh ພັນຄຳ ວິພາວັນ (born 1951)	22 March 2021	30 December 2022	1 year, 283 days	Thongloun Sisoulith
9		Sonexay Siphandone ສອນ​ໄຊ ສີ​ພັນ​ດອນ (born 1966)	30 December 2022	Incumbent	2 years, 194 days

Images for kids

• 

  Prince Phetsarath Ratanavongsa, the first Prime Minister of Laos.

• 

  King Sisavang Vong, who reigned during the early years of the Prime Minister's office.

• 

  Prince Kindavong, Prime Minister from 1946 to 1947.

• 

  Prince Boun Oum, who served as Prime Minister twice.

• 

  Phoui Sananikone, Prime Minister from 1950 to 1951 and again from 1958 to 1959.

• 

  Crown Prince Sisavang Vatthana, who briefly served as Prime Minister in 1951 before becoming King.

• 

  Prince Souvanna Phouma, who served multiple terms as Prime Minister.

• 

  Kou Abhay, Prime Minister in 1960.

• 

  Kaysone Phomvihane, the first Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

• 

  Khamtai Siphandone, Prime Minister from 1991 to 1998.

• 

  Sisavath Keobounphanh, Prime Minister from 1998 to 2001.

• 

  Bounnhang Vorachit, Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006.

• 

  Bouasone Bouphavanh, Prime Minister from 2006 to 2010.

• 

  Thongsing Thammavong, Prime Minister from 2010 to 2016.

• 

  Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister from 2016 to 2021.

• 

  Phankham Viphavanh, Prime Minister from 2021 to 2022.

• 

  Sonexay Siphandone, the current Prime Minister of Laos.

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Primeros ministros de Laos para niños