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National Assembly of Laos

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National Assembly

ສະພາແຫ່ງຊາດ
Sapha Heng Xat
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Saysomphone Phomvihane, LPRP
since 22 March 2021
Structure
Seats164
Political groups
Lao Front for National Development (164)
  •   LPRP (158)
  •   Independents (6)
Length of term
5 years
Elections
Bloc voting
Last election
21 February 2021
Meeting place
New National Assembly Building, Vientiane, Laos
Website
www.na.gov.la

The National Assembly (NA; Lao: ສະພາແຫ່ງຊາດ, romanized: Sapha Heng Xat) or formally the National Assembly of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (ສະພາແຫ່ງຊາດ ແຫ່ງ ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນ ລາວ) is the highest power organisation of Laos. It is the only branch of government in Laos, and per the principle of unified power, all state organs are subservient to it. The National Assembly meets in Vientiane.

Laos is a one-party state, with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party as the sole legal party in the country.[1] Most of the National Assembly's actions simply rubber stamp the party's decisions.[1] Efforts have been made to increase the capacity of its members, aiming to strengthen their legislative, oversight, and representational capacities.[2]

History

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The National Assembly was established in its current form by the Lao Constitution of 1991,[3] replacing the Supreme People's Assembly (the latter also formerly known as the Supreme People's Council). After the December 1997 elections, the number of seats were increased to 99, a new structure was announced and Samane Vignaket was elected as its president.

The last elections were held on 21 February 2021. The Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) took 158 seats in the enlarged 164-member National Assembly while the six remaining seats went to independents.[4]

In 2017, construction started on a new National Assembly building, gifted by Vietnam.[5] The construction was completed in 2021.[6]

Committees

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Parliamentary committees of the National Assembly currently include:[7]

  • Law Committee
  • Economic, Technology and Environment Committee
  • Planning, Finance and Audit Committee
  • Cultural and Social Committee
  • Ethnic Affairs Committee
  • National Defence and Security Committee
  • Foreign Affairs Committee

Latest election

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Main article: 2021 Laotian parliamentary election

On 1 March the Vientiane Times reported that vote counts had not been finalized yet, but would likely be within the week.[8] The new National Assembly met for the first time on 22 March.

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Lao People's Revolutionary Party158+14
Independents6+1
Total164+15
Total votes3,973,017–
Registered voters/turnout4,053,15198.02
Source: IPU, Vientiane Times

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Freedom in the World 2020: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties. Rowman & Littlefield. 22 January 2021. pp. 633–. ISBN 978-1-5381-5181-5.
  2. ^ [1]UNDP Governance Support Archived 30 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Constitution of the Lao PDR
  4. ^ "Lao People's Democratic Republic: National Assembly: Election results: 2021". Parline. Inter-Parliamentary Union. March 2021. Archived from the original on 26 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  5. ^ "Vietnam steps up Lao National Assembly building project". 30 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Vietnam gifts Laos a $111m parliament building". Global Construction Review. The Chartered Institute of Building. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  7. ^ National Assembly, 'Status and Roles of the Committees of the National Assembly' Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "Vote count delayed, younger candidates get involved". The Star. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
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