President of Laos

The president of the Lao People's Democratic Republic is the head of state of Laos. This important role represents the country and leads its government.

The current president is Thongloun Sisoulith, who began his term on 22 March 2021. Before becoming president, he was elected as the General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, which is the most powerful position in Laos. This role placed him at the top of the Politburo, the group's main decision-making body.

Being president means Thongloun Sisoulith plays a key part in guiding Laos and working with other countries around the world. His leadership helps shape the nation's policies and future.

History

Background

The role of President in Laos started with Prince Souphanouvong. He was the first person to be President. He came from the old royal family and was one of the important leaders called the Three Princes. Souphanouvong became President when the old Kingdom of Laos changed after a big conflict called the Laotian Civil War, led by a group known as the Pathet Lao in 1975.

Duties and rights

The president of Laos is chosen by the National Assembly for a five-year term and can serve only two terms in a row. To be elected, a candidate needs support from at least two-thirds of the lawmakers who are voting.

The president stands for Laos both inside the country and abroad. They watch over the government's work to keep things stable and protect the country's independence and land. The president chooses the prime minister, vice president, ministers, and other leaders with the National Assembly's agreement. The president is also the commander-in-chief of the Lao People's Armed Forces.

In Laos, which has one main political party and follows communist ideas, the most powerful job is not the president. It is the General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. This person leads important groups called the Politburo and the Secretariat, making them the true leader of the country. Often, since 1998, the same person has been both general secretary and president. This setup is similar to China, where the top leader is usually the president but gets most of their power from leading the party.

All presidents of Laos have been members of this main party while in office.

List of presidents

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Election	Prime minister(s)
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Souphanouvong ສຸພານຸວົງ (1909–1995)	2 December 1975	29 October 1986	10 years, 331 days	None	Kaysone Phomvihane
–		Phoumi Vongvichit ພູມີ ວົງວິຈິດ (1909–1994) Acting	29 October 1986	15 August 1991	4 years, 290 days	None
2		Kaysone Phomvihane ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ (1920–1992)	15 August 1991	21 November 1992	1 year, 98 days	1991	Khamtai Siphandone
3		Nouhak Phoumsavanh ໜູຮັກ ພູມສະຫວັນ (1910–2008)	25 November 1992	24 February 1998	5 years, 91 days	None
4		Khamtai Siphandone ຄຳໄຕ ສີພັນດອນ (1924–2025)	24 February 1998	8 June 2006	8 years, 104 days	1996	Sisavath Keobounphanh
						2001	Bounnhang Vorachit
5		Choummaly Sayasone ຈູມມະລີ ໄຊຍະສອນ (born 1936)	8 June 2006	20 April 2016	9 years, 317 days	2006	Bouasone Bouphavanh
						2011	Thongsing Thammavong
6		Bounnhang Vorachit ບຸນຍັງ ວໍລະຈິດ (born 1937)	20 April 2016	22 March 2021	4 years, 336 days	2016	Thongloun Sisoulith
7		Thongloun Sisoulith ທອງລຸນ ສີສຸລິດ (born 1945)	22 March 2021	Incumbent	5 years, 60 days	2021	Phankham Viphavanh
							Sonexay Siphandone

Timeline

The president of Laos is the head of state for the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The current president is Thongloun Sisoulith. He started this role on March 22, 2021. Before becoming president, he was chosen as the General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party in January 2021. This is the most important position in the country.