Government
National government
Four million people to vote in National Assembly election
Some four million citizens out of Laos’ population of about 6.4 million are eligible to vote in the upcoming election of members of the National Assembly (NA)’s Eighth Legislature. The National Election Committee (NCE) made the announcement on 22 February when briefing the media about the progress ...
Inefficiency slowing development along Lao-Viet border
Human resource development and awareness of self-ownership and self-reliance on the part of local authorities is inadequate and is hindering the progress of grassroots development projects. This finding was reported at a meeting in Vientiane on 19 February to review development progress in areas along the shared ...
Cambodia’s young seek change as demographics shift
Thy Sovantha, Cambodia’s youngest political star, is still seething. A charismatic student, she rocketed to fame during the 2013 elections when she backed the opposition’s effort to unseat Cambodia’s authoritarian ruler. Her Facebook page drew hundreds of thousands of followers, making her, at 18, perhaps the ...
Talks raise hopes, and fears, of a presidential deal
A third round of talks between military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and National League for Democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has raised hopes among her supporters that the two sides can reach a power-sharing agreement over the presidency and new government. But ...
Information project eases Lao government decision making
The inaugural meeting of the cross-sectoral Steering Committee of the Lao Decide Info project took place in Vientiane on 17 February, to assess the progress of the project to date. Lao Decide Info plays a critical role in enhancing the quality of key information relating to ...
Xaysomboun appoints new provincial governor
Party Central Committee member Major General Thongloy Silivong was officially appointed on 16 February as the new Party Secretary of Xaysomboun province and provincial Governor. A ceremony to hand over the position between the former Party Secretary of Xaysomboun province and provincial Governor Dr Sombath Yialiher and ...
MPs to debate emergency proposal on Shan clashes
Shan State politicians are urging parliament to immediately address renewed clashes in the northern part of the state which have already displaced thousands of civilians and trapped several thousand more. U Sai Tun Aung, a Pyithu Hluttaw MP for the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, submitted ...
Third round of transition talks loom
Power-sharing talks between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Senior General Min Aung Hlaing are expected to resume this week – possibly as early as today – according to sources close to the National League for Democracy. The last round of negotiations on 25 January seems ...
US, ASEAN agree on freedom of navigation principle
President Barack Obama and the leaders of Southeast Asia called on 16 February for peaceful resolution of the region’s maritime disputes as they concluded a summit in California. Mr Obama told a news conference that disputes must be resolved by legal means, including a case brought by ...
Voting abroad impossible: Cambodian PM
Prime Minister Hun Sen has dismissed calls to allow Cambodians living abroad to vote in the next election, claiming it would be impossible under the Kingdom’s proportional representative electoral system. But a vast string of other countries – including Indonesia and several European nations – operate ...
