Lao People’s Democratic Republic 1991 Constitution (reviewed 2015)

Chapter VII. Government

Article 69 (Amended)

The government is the executive branch, which has the role of managing the State uniformly throughout the country.

The government is responsible for the National Assembly and the President.

Article 70 (Amended)

The government has the following rights and duties:

1. To implement the Constitution, laws and resolutions of the meeting of the National Assembly, resolutions of the National Assembly Standing Committee, [and] presidential edicts and decrees;
2. To submit draft laws to the National Assembly, submit draft Presidential Edicts to the National Assembly Standing Committee and to submit draft Presidential Decrees to the President of the State;
3. To issue decrees and resolutions on State administration, socio-economic management, and management in the fields of science-technology, national resources, environment, national defence and security, and foreign affairs;
4. To determine strategic plans for socio-economic development and annual State budgets and to submit them to the National Assembly for consideration and approval;
5. To propose to the National Assembly for approval for the establishment, merger, separation or elimination of ministries and equivalent bodies, provinces and municipalities, and to determine the boundaries of the provinces, and cities;
6. To decide the establishment or elimination of sub-ministry, departments or equivalent organizations;
7. To decide the establishment or elimination of districts, municipalities, and cities and to determine the boundaries of the districts, municipalities, and cities after approval by the Provincial People Assembly;
8. To establish or eliminate Special and Specific Economic Zone;
9. To organize, monitor and oversee the activities of the sectoral organizations, local administrations and the national defence and security forces;
10. To decide on conferment, withdrawal, relinquishment and re-acquisition of Lao nationality;
11. To decide on granting honors to foreigners;
12. To make, enter into, interpret and implement the treaties and international agreements to which Lao PDR has become a party;
13. To suspend the implementation of or cancel decisions or instructions of the ministries and equivalent organizations, organizations under the government’s management, and local administrations if they contradict the laws and other legislation, except the decision on the court proceeding of the Public Prosecutor and People’s Court; [and]
14. To report on its performance to the National Assembly, the National Assembly Standing Committee, and the President of the State.

Article 71 (Amended)

The government consists of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister[s], ministers and chairmen of the ministry-equivalent organizations.

The term of office of the government is the same as the term of office of the National Assembly; the members of the government cannot hold the position for more than two consecutive terms.

Article 72 (New)

The Prime Minister is the head of the Government, and represents the Government; leads and manages the work of the Government and local administration; appoints, transfers or removes Vice-Ministers, Vice-chairmen of the ministry-equivalent organizations, heads of Sub-ministry, deputy heads of Sub-ministry, [and] heads of department; appoints or removes governors [and] mayors of cities after approval by the Provincial People’s Assembly; proposes to promote or demote general officers; promotes and demotes colonels in the national defence and security forces.

Article 73 (New)

The Deputy Prime Ministers are the assistants of the Prime Minister to lead on matters of the government and local administrative organizations, execute the tasks assigned to them by the Prime Minister.

Any Deputy Prime Minister shall carry out work on his/her behalf in the event that he/she is occupied on other matters.

Article 74 (New)

The ministers and chairmen of ministry-equivalent organizations have the role to develop and implement the resolutions of the meeting of the National Assembly, the National Assembly Standing Committee and government; to lead, manage and inspect the implementation of the sector under its responsibility; [and] to be connected with, cooperate with, and sign the agreements and sub-agreements with foreign countries as agreed by the government.

Article 75 (Amended)

The National Assembly may pass a vote of no confidence in any member or all members of the government if the National Assembly Standing Committee or one-fourth of the total number of National Assembly members raises the issue.

In the event that the National Assembly has no confidence on any member or all members of the government, the President has the right to request to the National Assembly for reconsideration or decides to terminate the member of the government.