Parliamentary elections were held in
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
on 20 March 2016.
[The National Committee for Election (NEC) announces NA candidates]
LNTV Voters were presented with a single list from the
Lao Front for National Construction, dominated by the Communist
Lao People's Revolutionary Party
The Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) is the founding and sole ruling party of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The party's monopoly on state power is guaranteed by Article 3 of the Constitution of Laos, and it maintains a unitary ...
(LRPP). The LPRP won 144 of the 149 seats, with pro-government independents winning the remaining five.
Electoral system
The 149 members of the National Assembly were elected from 18 multi-member constituencies with between three and fourteen seats using the
first-past-the-post
In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast their ...
system.
[Electoral system]
Inter-Parliamentary Union
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU; french: Union Interparlementaire, UIP) is an inter-parliamentary institution, international organization of national parliaments. Its primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and coop ...
Candidates had to gain the support of a local authority or a mass organisation to run for office, and election committees approve candidacies.
[ Due to a rise in the country's population, the number of seats was increased from 132 in the 2011 elections.][
]
Campaign
A total of 149 seats were contested by 211 candidates, including 50 women and 48 incumbent MPs.[ Much of the election campaign was focused on economic development.][
]
Results
Of the 149 elected members, 73% were first-time MPs.[
]
Aftermath
Following the elections, the National Assembly convened on 20 April to elect Bounnhang Vorachith as president (replacing Choummaly Sayasone) and Thongloun Sisoulith
Thongloun Sisoulith ( lo, ທອງລຸນ ສີສຸລິດ; born 10 November 1945) is a Lao historian and politician serving as General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party since 15 January 2021 and President of Laos since 2 ...
as Prime Minister, replacing Thongsing Thammavong
Thongsing Thammavong ( Lao: ທອງສິງ ທຳມະວົງ; born 12 April 1944) is a Laotian politician who was the Prime Minister of Laos from 2010 to 2016. He is a member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and has been a ...
.[Last elections]
Inter-Parliamentary Union
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU; french: Union Interparlementaire, UIP) is an inter-parliamentary institution, international organization of national parliaments. Its primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and coop ...
References
{{Laotian elections
Elections in Laos
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
2016 in Laos
One-party elections
Election and referendum articles with incomplete results
March 2016 events in Asia