Elections for the ninth National Assembly and Provincial People’s Councils were held across Laos on Sunday, with results to be heard as early as next week.
Some 4.28 million people in Laos were eligible for a vote to elect 164 National Assembly (NA) members and Provincial People’s Councils (PPC) members.
Lao citizens around the country cast ballots from 7am to 5pm local time to elect their members to sit in the NA and provincial parliaments at 7,200 polling stations around the country.
President Bounnhang Vorachith, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, NA President Pany Yathotou, and Party and state leaders joined citizens in voting for members of the national parliament’s ninth legislature and Provincial People’s Council second legislature, Xinhua reports.
Young and middle-aged candidates made a larger proportion of those standing for election this time, as the government encourages the younger generation to take more roles in state posts.
Elections for NA candidacy take place every five years, in line with the Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.
Vientiane Times reports that vote counts could be finalized within a week with the announcement of the list of NA and PPC members.
Following the announcement of the full list of NA and PPC members, the National Assembly will hold a preliminary session in Vientiane Capital for the newly elected members to approve a president and vice president of Laos, as well as a prime minister, NA president, and members of the government.
