Lao People's Democratic Republic

Government Type: Communist State

Population: 7.1 Million
Ethnic Groups: Lao, Khmou, Hmong, Tai, Phuthai, Lue, Katang, Makong, Akha
Religion: Buddhism, Christianity, and others
Language: Lao, French, English
Independence: July 19, 1949

Government Branches: Executive, Legislative, Judiciary

Executive
President - Indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term
Vice President - Indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term
Prime Minister (Head of Government)
Cabinet (Council of Ministers appointed by the President approved by the National Assembly)

Legislative
Unicameral National Assembly - 132 seats, members directly elected by simple majority from the Lao People’s
Revolutionary Party; members serve 5-year terms

Judiciary
Highest Court - People’s Supreme Court (consists of the court president and organized into criminal, civil,
administrative, commercial, family, and juvenile chambers, each with a vice president and several judges)

● Laos is one of the last bastions of communism along with Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam and China.
The country is formally under the control of the Laotian People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP). The
Communist Party in Laos is a bit shy about coming across as too overtly Communist. The word
“Communism” does not appear on any government documents and there are no statues of Marx or
Lenin other than a bust of Lenin in the Lao National History Museum.

● Laotian politics is characterized by strongmen and secrets. No one outside the inner circle seems to
know what is really going on. One European diplomat told the New York Times, “It’s still vague and
murky. That’s my best assessment.” There are no real alternatives to the LPRP. The diploma told the
New York Times, “There is nothing to take its place, no civil society, no democratic opposition,
nothing. This country is totally repressed.” Additionally, there is no charismatic leader like Burma’s
Aung San Suu Kyo for local people and the international community to rally around.

● Government type: Laos is a Communist state governed by the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.
According to the U.S. state department Laos is a "most repressive state" and a "place of unusually harsh
 government control." The republic democratic people party of Laos came to power in 1975. The
executive power is controlled by the president and elected by the national assembly for a 5 year period.
The president is assisted by the prime minister who, in turn, is in charge of the ministry council. The
legislative power, guarantor of the constitution, is held by the national assembly, which consists of 85
representatives elected by the people for a term of 5 years. The most recent National Assembly (NA)
election was held in 2011. The constitution legitimizes only a single party, the LPRP, and almost all
candidates in the 2011 election were LPRP members vetted by the party.

● According to Lonely Planet: Reforms and new political will are thus both necessary for the country to
prosper. The LPRP is now Marxist-Leninist in name. Rather it exercises a single-party dictatorship, and
is becoming increasingly nationalistic. This may appeal to Lowland Lao, but less to the tribal
minorities. Care will be needed to maintain social cohesion. It remains to be seen whether the Party has
the resourcefulness to meet the challenges ahead. [Source: Lonely Planet]