Thongloun Sisoulith President of Laos (elected by Parliament on Mar 22, 2021)

Thongloun Sisoulith (born 10 November 1945) is a Laotian politician serving as General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party since 15 January 2021 and President of Laos since 22 March 2021.

Sisoulith was born in the Houaphan province of Laos, and he studied at Pedagogical College of Neo Lao Hak Sat in Houaphan from 1962 to 1969. He was further educated in the Soviet Union and Vietnam. In addition to Lao, he speaks Vietnamese, Russian and English.

Throughout his years in government, he has an extensive list of appointments. He was Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1987 to 1992, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare from 1993 to 1997, and a member of the National Assembly from 1998 to 2000. He became Deputy Prime Minister and President of the State Planning Committee on 27 March 2001, and he was additionally appointed as Foreign Minister on 8 June 2006, replacing Somsavat Lengsavad. He was chosen to become Prime Minister of Laos at the 10th Party Congress on 23 January 2016.

At the 11th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party in 2021, he was elected the party’s general secretary, and hence de facto leader of Laos, the first civilian with no military background to be general secretary.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thongloun_Sisoulith

Bounnhang Vorachith, Former President of Laos (elected on Apr 19, 2016)

Bounnhang Vorachith (born August 15, 1938) is a Laotian politician who has been General Secretary (de facto leader) of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of Laos ( de jure head of state) since 2016. Previously he served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1996 to 2001, as Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006, and as Vice President of Laos from 2006 to 2016.

He became Vice President on June 8, 2006, when Bouasone Bouphavanh was appointed as Prime Minister.

At the 10th Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, he was elected to succeed Choummaly Sayasone as General Secretary on 22 January 2016, effectively making him the leader of Laos.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bounnhang_Vorachith

Choummaly Sayasone, Former President of Laos

Lieutenant General Choummaly Sayasone (born March 6, 1936 in Attapu) is General Secretary of the communist Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. He was elected as General Secretary on March 21, 2006 by the party’s 8th Congress, succeeding Khamtai Siphandon, and he subsequently succeeded Siphandon as President on June 8, 2006.

Sayasone joined the party’s Politburo in 1991 and served as Vice President from 2001 to 2006. He also served for a time as Minister of Defense (1991-2001).