Prime Minister of Laos

Prime Minister of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos
Coat of Arms of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos
Incumbent Thongsing Thammavong since 23 December 2010
Nominator	Choummaly Sayasone as President of Laos
Appointer	National Assembly
Term length	Five years
Inaugural holder	Prince Phetsarath Rattanavongsa
Formation	15 September 1945
Website	[1]

Laos
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Laos
Ideology Collective leadership Marxism–Leninism
Constitution History 1947 Constitution Current Constitution
Lao People's Revolutionary Party Congress (9th) Central Committee General Secretary Choummaly Sayasone Politburo (9th) Secretariat Executive Secretary Bounnhang Vorachit Commission for Inspection Chairman Bounthong Chitmany
Legislature National Assembly (Members) NA Standing Committee Chairman Pany Yathotu
Executive President (List) Choummaly Sayasone Vice President Bounnhang Vorachith Prime Minister (List) Thongsing Thammavong Deputy Prime Ministers Asang Laoly Douangchay Phichith Somsavat Lengsavad
Mass organizations Front for National Construction Standing Committee Chairman Phandoungchit Vongsa Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union Central Committee General Secretary Bounpone Bouttanavong
Military Head of the Lao People's Army Choummaly Sayasone Ministry of Defense Minister of Defense Douangchay Phichit
Judiciary  Law Supreme People's Court Supreme Public Procuracy
Other Issues Elections Subdivisions Provinces Districts Human rights CIDL Foreign relations
Other countries Atlas Politics portal

The Prime Minister of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos is the highest office within the Central Government. Throughout its history, the office 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 Thongsing Thammavong, since 23 December 2010. He is second-ranked in the Political Bureau (Politburo).

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 6 prime ministers of the People's Democratic Republic, but there have been 18 prime ministers of Laos if the prime ministers of the Kingdom of Laos are counted.

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.

List of Prime Ministers of Laos (1945–present)

Kingdom of Laos (1945–1975)

№	Name (Birth–Death) (Title)	Picture	Term start	Term end	Political Party
1	Prince Phetsarath Rattanavongsa (1890–1959) Prime Minister		15 September 1945	20 October 1945	Non-party
2	Phaya Khammao (1911–1984) Chairman of the Provisional Government		20 October 1945	23 April 1946	Lao Issara
3	Prince Kindavong (1900–1951) Prime Minister		23 April 1946	15 March 1947	Non-party
4	Prince Souvannarath (1893–1960) Prime Minister		15 March 1947	25 April 1948	Non-party
5	Prince Boun Oum Na Champasak (1912–1980) Prime Minister		25 March 1948	24 February 1950	Non-party
6	Phoui Sananikone (1903–1983) Prime Minister		24 February 1950	15 October 1951	Neutralist
7	Prince Savang Vatthana (1907–1978?) Prime Minister		15 October 1951	21 November 1951	Non-party
8	Prince Souvanna Phouma (1901–1984) Prime Minister		21 November 1951	25 October 1954	National Progressive Party
9	Katay Don Sasorith (1904–1959) Prime Minister		25 October 1954	21 March 1956	National Progressive Party
(8)	Prince Souvanna Phouma (1901–1984) Prime Minister		21 March 1956	17 August 1958	National Progressive Party
(6)	Phoui Sananikone (1903–1983) Prime Minister		17 August 1958	31 December 1959	Neutralist
10	Sounthone Pathammavong (1911– ) Army Chief of Staff		31 December 1959	7 January 1960	Committee for the Defence of the National Interests / Military
11	Kou Abhay (1892–1964) Prime Minister		7 January 1960	3 June 1960	Non-party
12	Prince Somsanith Vongkotrattana (1913–1975) Prime Minister		3 June 1960	15 August 1960	Committee for the Defence of the National Interests
(8)	Prince Souvanna Phouma (1901–1984) Prime Minister		30 August 1960 (from 9 December 1960, in exile in Phnom Penh, Cambodia)	13 December 1960	Lao Neutralist Front
	Quinim Pholsena (1915–1963) Prime Minister (not recognized)		11 December 1960	13 December 1960	Peace and Neutrality Party
(5)	Prince Boun Oum Na Champasak (1912–1980) Prime Minister		13 December 1960	23 June 1962	Non-party
(8)	Prince Souvanna Phouma (1901–1984) Prime Minister		23 June 1962	2 December 1975	Lao Neutralist Front

Trivia

Between December 1959 to December 1960, Laos had six different Prime Ministers, who were ousted by six successive political coups.

People's Democratic Republic of Laos (1975–present)

№	Name (Birth–Death) (Title)	Picture	Term start	Term end	Political Party
1	Kaysone Phomvihane (1920–1992) Chairman of the Council of Ministers		8 December 1975	15 August 1991	Lao People's Revolutionary Party
2	Khamtai Siphandon (1924– ) Chairman of the Council of Ministers		15 August 1991	24 February 1998	Lao People's Revolutionary Party
3	Sisavath Keobounphanh (1928– ) Chairman of the Council of Ministers		24 February 1998	27 March 2001	Lao People's Revolutionary Party
4	Bounnhang Vorachith (1937– ) Chairman of the Council of Ministers		27 March 2001	8 June 2006	Lao People's Revolutionary Party
5	Bouasone Bouphavanh (1954– ) Chairman of the Council of Ministers		8 June 2006	23 December 2010	Lao People's Revolutionary Party
6	Thongsing Thammavong (1944– ) Chairman of the Council of Ministers		23 December 2010	Incumbent	Lao People's Revolutionary Party

Living former prime ministers

• 

  Khamtai Siphandon,
  served 1991–1998

• 

  Sisavath Keobounphanh,
  served 1998–2001

• 

  Bounnhang Vorachith,
  served 2001–2006

• 

  Bouasone Bouphavanh,
  served 2006–2010

See also

• List of monarchs of Laos
• President of Laos