General Khamtai Siphandone ( lo, ຄຳໄຕ ສີພັນດອນ; born 8 February 1924)Joseph Chinyong Liow
''Dictionary of the Modern Politics of Southeast Asia''
(fourth edition, 2015), Routledge, page 212. is a Laotian politician who was Chairman of the

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 unitar ...

from 24 November 1992 to 21 March 2006 and President of LaosDoeden, Matt (2007) ''Laos in Pictures'', Lerner Publishing Group, , p. 71 from 24 February 1998 to 8 June 2006, when he was replaced by Choummaly Sayasone. He was a member of the

Communist Party of Indochina The Communist Party of Indochina (Vietnamese language, Vietnamese: ''Đông Dương Cộng sản Đảng'' 1929–1930) is one of three predecessors of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Other two predecessors are the Communist Party of Annam (An Nam ...

in 1954 and a member of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party in 1956.

Early life

Siphandone comes from a peasant family from the far south of Laos. His first job was as a postman. He joined the national liberation movement Lao Issara after the end of the Second World War, which stood for the independence of Laos and against the return of the French protectorate administration. Before the French regained control of Savannakhet in March 1946, Siphandone seized the entire provincial fund (150,000 piastres). He became an officer of the armed wing of the movement and in 1948 their representative for southern Laos. After the split of Lao Issara in 1950 he joined the Pro-Vietnamese-backed Pathet Lao.Stuart-Fox: ''Historical Dictionary of Laos.'' 2008, S. 160. In 1954 he became a member of the

, 1955 Lao People's Party, whose central committee he was from 1957. He was considered a close confidant of the first Secretary-General Kaysone Phomvihane. In 1962 he became his successor as chief of staff of the armed units of the Pathet Lao. In 1966 he became commander-in-chief of the resulting "Lao People's Liberation Army", which fought with North Vietnamese support in the Laotian civil war against the royal troops. In 1972 he rose to the Politburo of the LPRP.

Political career

After the Communist takeover in 1975, he became Minister of Defense and Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers. He held this office for 16 years. After Kaysone and Nouhak Phoumsavanh he was from the 5th party congress in 1991 number three in the party leadership. On 15 August 1991, he became Kaysone's successor as successor. After the death of longtime party leader Kaysone 1992 Siphandone rose to the top of the state party LPRP. He was the military commander of the Pathet Lao rebellion. On its takeover of the Laotian government in 1975 he became minister of defence, commander of the army, and a deputy prime minister. On the creation of chairmanship of LPRP q the in 1991, he became

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

, succeeding party leader

Kaysone Phomvihane Kaysone Phomvihane ( lo, ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ; 13 December 1920 – 21 November 1992) was the first leader of the Communist Lao People's Revolutionary Party from 1955 until his death in 1992. After the Communists seized po ...

, who became president. Siphandone became party leader on Kaysone's death, and succeeded

Nouhak Phoumsavanh Nouhak Phoumsavanh or Phoumsavan ( lo, ໜູຮັກ ພູມສະຫວັນ; th, หนูฮัก พูมสะหวัน; 9 April 1910– 9 September 2008) was a longtime Pathet Lao revolutionary and communist party official who wa ...

as president in 1998. At the 8th Party Congress in 2006, he became an Advisor to the LPRP Central Committee. Siphandone remained as party leader until 21 March 2006, when he was replaced by Choummaly. As expected, he stepped down as President soon after the 30 April 2006,

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...

elections.

References