This power point is all about the politics and governance of Laos.

1. LAOS:
SOUTHEAST ASIA
TheTransformationof Periphery
Socialism
DIAZ, GALVE, JOPSON

2. C O U N T R Y P R O F IL E
Year of full sovereignity Form of Government Total Area
Current Constitution
Enacted
Head of State Head of Government
System of
Government
Regime Type Cabinet Type
1949 Republic 236,800 km²
1991 Bounnyang Vorachit Thoungloun Sisolith
Parliamentary Autocracy Single-Party
Government

3. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Population
The current population of the Lao People's
Democratic Republic is 7,522,093 as of Friday, November
4, 2022, based on Worldometer elaboration of the
latest United Nations data.
One of only five communist single party regime in the world
The Kingdom of Lan Xang ,founded in 1354 ,was the precursor of Modern Laos
During world war 2 the compromise between the french government of Marshall
Petain in Vichy and Tokyo "recognized french sovereignity over Indochina,including
Laos.

4. Laos used to
have no
written
constitution
f or 1
6 year s.
The 1991 constitution:
Constitutional Development and Principles
CONSTITUTION
Laos has had three Constitutions.
1945-Lao Issara(free Laos)
1
947-a french written
monarchical constitution
The first provisional
constitution was
promulgated by various
nationalist led by Lao
Issara in 1945.
The final Draft of their constitution
pr om
ul gat ed in august 1
991
.LPRP is t he l eading
nucleus and that a l l other state functions
throufh a process of "democratic centralism.
The text has 1
1chapters and
98 articles .Only the
National Assembly has the
right to amend the
constitution

5. S ystemof Governmentand theS ocialistParty S tate

6. Until 1975,the party leadership consisted mainly of two groups of
ethnic Lao
Political Parties
Laos is a single Party regime. The only legal
apolitical party is the Lao People's Revolutionary
Party (LPRP).
It is organized as leninist Cadre party
L PR P em erged from the Indochina
Communist Party in 1930
N ational Party congress in held every 5 years,
serves as the highest decision making body
Party membership is
necessary to gain access
to most government
positions and mandatory
for officers in Lao
People's Army.

7. The Judiciary reorganized and the corresponding laws and
regulations were introduced.
1991 Constitution recognized the Supreme People's Court as the
"highest judicial organ of the State".
Since 2003, the president of Supreme People's Court is appointed
and can be removed by the National Assembly.
Under 2015 Constitution, the appointment and removal of
members of the judiciary involve the National Assembly, the
president and the National Assembly Standing Committee.
Politburo created and Anti-Corruption Commission and passed an
Anti-Corruption law in 2005.
Laos was listed rank 139 out of 175 countries worldwide in
2015.
LEGAL AND JUDICIAL SYSTEfi

8. First representative election to the legislative held in 1951.
Popular elections for district for district, provincial, and
local assemblies were held in 1988. Since 1989, elections
for the National Assembly are held every 5 years.
Parliamentary elections are organized by a National
Election Committee, appointed by the president and are
executed by Ministry of the Interior.
All citizens aged 18 or older are eligible to vote, and
citizens aged 21 or older have the right to stand in
elections.
National Assembly elections use a system of plurality rule
in 18 multi-member constituencies.
ELECTORAL SYSTEfi AND ELECTIONS

9. ElectoralSystemandElections

10. Lao PDR is a decentralized unitary state.
Provincial governors are appointed by the president and in turn select
the district chiefs.
The fragmentation of political authority under the constitutional
monarchy and political instability during the civil war perpetuated the
weakness of the state and the national government.
Pathet Lao was forced to adopt a flexible form of regional and
decentralized organization to safeguard its lines of communication and
supply.
The central government gradually formalized the existing devolution of
powers to the provinces..
1
991 LPRP C onstitution strengthened the political center vis-a-vis the
pheriphy by putting forth all local administrative to be supervised.
Laos has always been one of the most ethnically heterogenous society.
STATE AND DECENTRALIZATION

11. Media System
There is no access to information law in Laos. However, the 2012 Law on
Making Legislation increased legislative transparency by requiring bills
proposed at the central and provincial levels to be published for comment
for 60 days and, once passed, to be posted for 15 days before coming into
force.
There is no independent Media
Authorities use legal restrictions and intimidation tactics against state
critics, and as a result, self-censorship is widespread. The state owns
nearly all media, though some independent outlets, primarily
entertainment magazines that steer clear of political commentary,
have emerged in recent years.

12. Government–Civil Society Relations
Civil society’s formal relationship with government is
not well-defined. For example, CSOs are not officially
represented in the formal donor partnership mechanisms,
the Round Table Process (RTP), or in the sector working

13. CONCLUSION
Laos is a one-party state in which the ruling Lao People’s Revolutionary
Party (LPRP) dominates all aspects of politics and harshly restricts civil
liberties. There is no organized opposition or independent civil society.
News coverage of the country is limited by the remoteness of some
areas, repression of domestic media, and the regime’s opaque nature.
Lao is categorized not free in freedom in world 2022
The dominance of the LPRP over most aspects of society can
effectively restrict individuals’ ability to choose their place of
residence, employment, or education. Security checkpoints in central
Laos can hamper travel, though the military has in recent years
reduced controls there.

14. CONCLUSION
Although the LPRP is the only legal party, National Assembly candidates are not
required to be members. However, all candidates must be approved by
National Assembly–appointed committees, effectively barring genuine
independents from contesting elections.
Laotian courts are wracked by corruption and subject to LPRP influence. Major
decisions are often made secretly.
Self-censorship is common because authorities employ legal limits and
intimidation strategies against state critics.
Nearly all media outlets are owned by the government, but some
independent ones, mostly entertainment periodicals that avoid political
commentary, have developed in recent years.