Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President KHAMTAI Siphandon (elected 26 February 1998 by the National People's Assembly to succeed NOUHAK PHOUMSAVAN who retired); Vice President OUDOM Khattiya (since 26 February 1998) head of government: Prime Minister SISAVAT Keobounphan (since 26 February 1998); Deputy Prime Ministers KHAMPHOUI Keoboualapha (since 15 August 1991), BOUNGNANG Volachit (since 20 April 1996), CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 26 February 1998), SOMSAVAT Lengsavad (since 26 February 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 21 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister appointed by the president with the approval of the National Assembly for a five-year term election results: KHAMTAI Siphandon elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (99 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note-by presidential decree, on 27 October 1997, the number of seats increased from 85 to 99) elections: last held 21 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-LPRP or LPRP-approved (independent, non-party members) 99; note-the distribution of seats as of January 1998 is as follows-LPRP 98, independents 1
Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court, the president of the People's Supreme Court is elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the National Assembly Standing Committee, the vice president of the People's Supreme Court and the judges are appointed by the National Assembly Standing Committee
Political parties and leaders: Lao People's Revolutionary Party
(LPRP), KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president; other parties proscribed
Political pressure groups and leaders: noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975
International organization participation: ACCT, AsDB, ASEAN, 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, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
(observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador-designate VANG Lattanavong chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416 FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Wendy Jean CHAMBERLIN embassy: Rue Bartholonie, B.P. 114, Vientiane mailing address: American Embassy, Box V, APO AP 96546 telephone: [856] (21) 212581, 212582, 212585 FAX: [856] (21) 212584
Flag description: three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band