Lao People's

Democratic
Republic(LPDR)
By:Jhona G. DeTorres

Lao People's Democratic Republic(LPDR)

Governmentname:PeoplesDemocraticRepublic

Capital:Vientiane

Population:6.8million(July2014est.)

Language:Lao

Religion:TheravadaBuddhism

Currency:Kip

NationalDay:December2

Brief History of Laos

LaostracesitshistorytothekingdomofLanXang,thefirstLaotianstate
whichexistedfromthe14thcenturywhichruledlaosuntilitsplitintothree
kingdoms:theLuangPhrabang,VientianeandChampasak.Duringthe18 th
century,thesethreeseparatekingdomswereruledbySiameseortodayis
thetheThaipeople.

In 1893, it became aFrenchprotectorate, and at same time the

FrenchcoloniststakecontroltheSiamese(thai)peopleandforcefully
removed them to the western part of the Mekong river. Those
separate kingdoms were reunited by the French uniting to form
what is now known as Laos. In 1949, French granted semiautonomy in Laos until it became independent in 1953, with
aconstitutional monarchy underSisavang Vong. Shortly after
independence, a longcivil war ended the monarchy, when the
CommunistPathetLaomovementcametopowerin1975.

Laosisasingle-partysocialistrepublic.ItespousesMarxismand
isgovernedbyasinglepartycommunistpolitburodominatedbymilitary
generals.
Other Infos:

Laos' strategy for development is based on generating electricity

from its rivers and selling the power to its neighbors, namely
Thailand, China, and Vietnam.Its economy is accelerating rapidly
withthedemandsforitsmetals.

ItisamemberoftheAsia-PacificTradeAgreement(APTA),
AssociationofSoutheastAsianNations(ASEAN),EastAsiaSummitandLa
Francophonie.LaosappliedformembershipoftheWorldTradeOrganization
(WTO)in1997;on2February2013,itwasgrantedfullmembership.

Accordingtotheanti-corruptionnon-governmentalorganizationTransparency
International,Laosremainsoneofthemostcorruptcountriesintheworld.This
hasdeterredforeigninvestmentandcreatedmajorproblemswiththeruleof
law,includingthenation'sabilitytoenforcecontractandbusinessregulation.
ThishascontributedtoathirdofthepopulationofLaoscurrentlylivingbelow
theinternationalpovertyline(livingonlessthanUS$1.25perday).Laoshasa
low-incomeeconomy,withoneofthelowestannualincomesintheworld.In
2013,Laosrankedin138thplace(tiedwithCambodia)ontheHuman
DevelopmentIndex(HDI),indicatingthatLaoshaslowermediumtolow
development.AccordingtotheGlobalHungerIndex(2013),Laosranksasthe
25thhungriestnationintheworldoutofthelistofthe56nationswiththeworst
hungersituation(s).Laoshashadapoorhumanrightsrecordmostparticularly
dealingwiththenation'sactsofgenocidebeingcommittedtowards
itsHmongpopulation.

Map of Laos

Interesting And Amazing Facts On Laos

ItistheonlycountryinSoutheastAsiawhichislandlocked,And
becauseofbeinglandlocked,Laosdoesnothaveanavy.

TheMekongRivercanbecalledtheriverwhichinstilslifeinthis
country,asitnotonlyformsavitaltransportationrouteforpeoplehere,
butalsohelpsingeneratingelectricity,irrigatingcropsandfishing.

TheMekongRiverisalsoknownasMaeNamKhong,whichtranslatesto
motherofallrivers..

TherearethreemainplateausinLaos,namely,Xiangkhiang,Khammouanand
Bolovens.Outofthese,XiangkhiangisthelargestonewhileBolovensisthe
onereallyfertileforcropssuchasrice,coffee,teaandothers,therebyactingas
foodbowlofthenation.

ThepeopleofLaosareknownaroundtheworldfortheirhonestyandsimplicity;
mainlythefollowersofBuddhism,thesepeoplehavediscoveredjoyin
minimalism.

OneofthefewmysticalcreatureswhichresideinthewildsofLaosisoneof
worldslongestvenomoussnakes,KingCobra,whichmeasuresfourteenfootin
length.Alongwithit,IrrawaddyDolphinsalsoarefoundinabundancehere.

.http://www.interestingfunfacts.com/facts-about-laos.html

ThoughLaosisamongthepoorestcountriesoftheworld,thepeopleherehave
foundthewaytohappinessbyacceptingBuddhismastheirmajorreligion.
Buddhismhelpstheminfindingjoyinsimpleliving.Mostofthesepeoplelivein
hamletswhicharesituatedbytherivers.Themainoccupationhereis
agriculture.

SportsinLaosisquiteprimitiveaspeopleplayKataw,whichislikeVolleyBall
butinsteadofusingthehandstoplaythesport,thesepeopleusetheirfeetto
kickaballmadeupofwovenbambootocrossthenet.Anothersportis
rhinoceros-beetlewrestlinginwhichpeoplebetonbeetlestopredictthelast
beetlestanding.

ThelawsagainstdrugsandliquorinLaosarerigid,Thoughtherearenomajor
restrictionsonalcohol;itisservedatafewbarsandrestaurants.Butusing
drugsandtraffickingdrugsisamajortaboo,thepunishmentfortrafficking
narcoticsisadeathsentence.

TheKhonePapengwaterfallsituatedinLaosisthelargestwaterfallinwholeof
SoutheastAsia.

Government type: Communist state

Executive branch: chiefofstate:PresidentLt.Gen.CHOUMMALISaignason

VicePresidentBOUN-GNANGVolachit
head of government: PrimeMinisterTHONGSINGThammavong
cabinet: ministersappointedbypresident,approvedbyNationalAssembly
elections: presidentandvicepresidentelectedbyNationalAssemblyforfiveyearterms;primeminister,appointedbythepresidentwiththeapprovalofthe
NationalAssembly,servesafive-yearterm.
FUNCTIONSOFTHEPRESIDENT:
Thepresidentappointsandcandismisstheprimeministerandmembersofthe
government,withtheapprovaloftheNationalAssembly
Healsopresidesovermeetingsofthegovernment,"whennecessary,"and
appointsanddismissesprovincialgovernorsandmayorsofmunicipalitiesaswellas
generalsofthearmedforces,upontherecommendationoftheprimeminister.

Inaddition,thepresidentreceivesandappointsambassadorsanddeclaresstatesofemergency
orwar.

FunctionsofPrimeMinister:
Dutiesofthisofficeincludetheguidanceandsupervisionoftheworkofgovernmentministries
andcommittees,aswellasofthegovernorsofprovincesandmayorsofmunicipalities.Theprime
ministerappointsallthedeputiesattheselevelsofgovernment,aswellasthelocaldistrictchiefs.

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (132 seats; members elected by popular
vote from a list of candidates selected by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party to serve five-year
terms)

Functions:

TheNationalAssemblymakesdecisionsonfundamentalissuesandoverseesadministrativeand
judicialorgans.Itsmostsignificantpowersincludeelectingandremovingthepresidentofstate,the
presidentoftheSupremePeople'sCourt,andtheprosecutorgeneral,"ontherecommendationof
theNationalAssemblyStandingCommittee.
Itspowersencompassamendingtheconstitution,determiningtaxes,approvingthestatebudget,
endorsingorabrogatinglaws,andelectingorremovingthetwotopjudicialfiguresinthe
system.
MembersoftheNationalAssemblyhavethe"righttointerpellatethemembersofthe
government.
.TheNationalAssemblyalsoratifiestreatiesanddecidesquestionsofwarandpeace.

Betweensessions,theStandingCommitteeoftheNationalAssembly,consistingof
thepresidentandthevicepresidentelectedbytheNationalAssemblyandan
unspecifiednumberofothermembers,preparesforfuturesessionsand
"supervise[s]andoversee[s]theactivitiesoftheadministrativeandjudicial
organizations."Itisempoweredtoappointorremovethevicepresidentofthe
SupremePeople'sCourtandjudgesatalllevelsofthelowercourts.Itssupervisory
rolecanbereinforcedbyNationalAssemblycommitteesestablishedtoconsider
draftlawsanddecreesandtohelpinthesupervisionandadministrationofthe
courts.

Judicial

branch: highestcourt(s):People'sSupremeCourt(consistsofNA

judges)

judge selection and term of office: presidentofPeople'sSupremeCourtelected

byNationalAssemblyonrecommendationofNationalAssemblyStanding
Committee;vicepresidentofPeople'sSupremeCourtandjudgesappointedby
NationalAssemblyStandingCommittee;termofofficeNA

subordinate courts: provincial,municipal,district,andmilitarycourts

Constitution: Adopted:1991;Protectstherighttopreservethenationalculture,natural

heritage,finetradition,antiquesandhistoricalplacesofthecountryanditsethnic
minorities,therighttotransferoftechnology,andandtherighttocreateartisticand
literaryworksandtoengageinculturalactivities.

NEWS:

Laosexpectseconomytogrow7.6pctthisyear
Published:05-May-1509:21AM

Lao Deputy Finance Minister

Thipphakone Chanthavongsa

PHNOMPENH(TheCambodiaHerald)--Laosexpectsitseconomyto
expandby7.6percentthisyeardespiteheadwindsslowingthepaceof
growth,DeputyFinanceMinisterThipphakoneChanthavongsasaid
Monday.

InastatementtotheannualmeetingoftheAsianDevelopmentBankin
theAzerbaijanicapitalofBaku,shesaidgrowthwouldbedrivenby
services,manufacturing,constructionandhydropower.

ThipphakonesaidtheLaokiphadremained"relativelystable"againstthedollar
andthebaht.Inflationhadmeanwhiledroppedfrom5.64percentto5.16percentin
thefirstsixmonthsoffiscal2014-2015.

"ThepathofthefiscaldeficitinFY14/15willcriticallydependontheGovernments
abilitytoachieveanunusuallystrongperformanceinrevenuecollectionandto
maintaintightcontroloverspendingacrosscategories,"thedeputyfinanceminister
said.

"Thefiscaldeficitisprojectedtonarrowtoabout4.4percentofGDPin2015with
higherrevenuestoGDP,andsmallercurrentspending,includingonwages,anda
declineincapitalspending.

"However,morehardworksareneededtoencouragethedevelopmentofthe
domesticsmallandmediumenterpriseaswellastheprivatesector,"sheadded.

http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/laos-expects-economy-to-grow-76-pct-this-year8503#sthash.e7pTTe9o.dpuf

Laos and China to Set Up Joint Company

for High-Speed Railway
CURRENT NEWS 2015-06-05

LaoshopesarailwaybetweenVietnamand
ThailandandanotherconnectingThailand
andChinawillhelpdrivesocio-economic
developmentintheimpoverishedcountry

Laosissettingupajointcompanywith
Chinatooverseetheconstructionand
financingofamultibillion-dollar,highspeedrailwayprojectthatwilllinkthe
twoneighboringcountriesandextendto
Thailand,accordingtoatransport
ministryofficial.

Theprocessisongoing,andweneed
thecontracttobesignedassoonas
possible,saidtheofficial,whodeclined
tobeidentifiedbecauseheisnot
authorizedtospeakaboutit.Headded
thattheministrywasgearinguptostart
markingtherailways420-kilometer
(261-mile)routethroughthecountry.

Thejointcompanythatwillbeestablishedwillberesponsiblefortheproject
management,landconcession,construction[and]farecollections.ItmeanstheLao
governmentmustborrowmoney,sothecompanywillborrowmoney,butthecostof
projectislowerthanU.S.$7billion.

Previously,LaoandChinasaidtheprojectwouldcostaboutU.S.$7.2billion.

Theministryofficialsaidhedidnotwhowouldguaranteethebankloanfortheprojectif
thejointcompanyhadtoborrowahugesumofmoney.

KoungSouk-Aloun,aseniorLaoofficialinchargeoftherailwayproject,saidhehadno
furtherdetailsontheprojectanddidnothavepermissiontosayanythingpubliclyaboutit.

Itisstillintheconsultationprocessthatiswedonotknowit.Theprocessisthesame
asitwasbefore,hetoldRFA.

AnoticeissuedbytheLaogovernmentonApril24indicatedthatitwasholdingtalkswith
Chinesecounterpartstohammeroutdetailsabouttheircooperationontheproject,and
thatofficialsinchargeoftheprojectwereplanningtopurchasevehiclestoconductthe
surveywork.

ThenoticealsosaidthattheLaoMinistryofPublicWorksandTransportandits
Thaicounterpartweresurveyinganappropriatelocationfortheconstructionof
abridgetoaccommodatetherailwaylinkbetweentheirtwocountries.

SonesaySiphandone,MinistertoGovernmentOffice,hadissuedanoticeon
April1totheministriesofplanningandinvestment,andnaturalresourcesand
environment,topreservetheminesthatwouldbeusedtobackaloanfrom
China,butthetypesofminesandtheirlocationswerenotmadepublic.

ReportedbyRFAsLaosService.TranslatedbyOunkeoSouksavanh.Writtenin
EnglishbyRoseanneGerin.

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/laos-and-china-to-set-up-joint-companyfor-major-high-speed-railway-06042015172519.html