Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President NOUHAK PHOUMSAVAN (since 25 November 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Gen. KHAMTAI SIPHANDON (since 15
August 1991)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president, approved by
the Assembly
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly: elections last held on 20 December 1992 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (85 total) number of seats by party NA
Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court
Political parties and leaders: Lao People's Revolutionary Party
(LPRP), KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president; other parties proscribed
Other political or pressure groups: non-Communist political groups
proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975
Member of: ACCT, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD,
ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory
user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador HIEM PHOMMACHANH
chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416, 6417
FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Victor L. TOMSETH
embassy: Rue Bartholonie, Vientiane
mailing address: B. P. 114, Vientiane; American Embassy, Box V, APO AP
96546
telephone: [856] (21) 212581, 212582, 212585
FAX: [856] (21) 212584
Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and
red with a large white disk centered in the blue band