Part 469

Constitution: promulgated 14 August 1991

Legal system: based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and Socialist practice

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state : President NOUHAK PHOUMSAVAN (appointed 25 November 1992 by the Supreme People's Assembly to succeed KAYSONE PHOMVIHAN who died in office; elected by the new National Assembly 22 February 1993); Vice President SISAVAT KEOBOUNPHAN (since 20 April 1996 when the position of vice president was first created) head of government : Prime Minister Gen. KHAMTAI SIPHANDON (since 15 August 1991); Deputy Prime Ministers KHAMPHOUI KEOBOUALAPHA (since 15 August 1991) and BOUNGNANG VOLACHIT (since 20 April 1996) 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 22 February 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); prime minister appointed by the president with the approval of the National Assembly for a five-year term election results: NOUHAK PHOUMSAVAN elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (85 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 20 December 1992 (next to be held NA 1997) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPRP or LPRP-approved (independent, non-party members) 85; note - the distribution of seats as of January 1997 is as follows - LPRP 78, independents 5, vacant 2

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 (observer), CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, Mekong Group, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador HIEM PHOMMACHANH chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 332-6416 FAX : (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: (21) 212581, 212582, 212585 FAX: (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

Economy

Economy - overview: The government of Laos - one of the few remaining official communist states - has been decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise since 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low base, have been striking - growth has averaged 7.5% annually since 1988. Even so, Laos is a landlocked country with a primitive infrastructure. It has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, and limited external and internal telecommunications. Electricity is available in only a few urban areas. Subsistence agriculture accounts for half of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The predominant crop is rice. In non-drought years, Laos is self-sufficient overall in food, but each year flood, pests, and localized drought cause shortages in various parts of the country. For the foreseeable future the economy will continue to depend on aid from the IMF and other international sources; aid from the former USSR/Eastern Europe has been cut sharply. As in many developing countries, deforestation and soil erosion will hamper efforts to maintain the high rate of GDP growth.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.7 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 7.5% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,150 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 56% industry: 19% services: 25% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 15% (1996 est.)

Labor force: 1 million-1.5 million by occupation: agriculture 80% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate: 5.6% in urban areas (1994 est.)

Budget: revenues : $218 million expenditures: $379 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)

Industries: tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction

Industrial production growth rate: 7.5% (1992 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 261,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production: 890 million kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 48 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, cotton; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry