Newer, younger faces on Laotian Central Committee
VIENTIANE - The Lao People's Revolutionary Party, which ended its seventh
congress here yesterday, did not reshuffle its ruling Politburo but added
four more cadres to the Central Committee, giving it a younger look in the
process.
President Khamtay Siphandone, 77, retained the all-powerful post of party
chairman of the new Politburo, endorsed yesterday by the new Central
Committee. So did seven other current Politburo members aged over 60.
On the other hand, membership in the Central Committee, the highest-policy
making body that includes the 11 Politburo members, rose from 49 to 53, with
an average age of 56.
More than 64 per cent of the Central Committee had joined the party before
1975, the year the ruling regime took control over Laos, while two were
members of the now defunct Indochinese Communist Party.
Members elected at this congress "have been active and enthusiastic in the
renovation cause, are good models for the cadres, party members and the
people in the cause of national safeguarding and development over the past
25 years", concluded a report on yesterday's election.
Most of the Central Committee members have been educated in
Marxist-Leninism, while about 10 per cent have a Masters degree or higher.
Among the new faces in the Politburo are Thongloun Sisoulith, chairman of
the National Assembly's foreign affairs committee; Maj-General Douangchay
Pichit, a decorated national hero and current military Chief of Staff; and
Bouasone Bouphavanh, chief of the Central Committee cabinet overseeing party
appointments.
The decision to retain the eight Politburo members was designed to ensure a
smooth transition of power between the older and younger party cadres. And a
new rule limiting the tenure of administrative posts to no more than two
terms was a way of ensuring that a new generation of technocrats finds a way
to enter the governing circle, said a senior government official.
Among the 12 new faces on the Central Committee is technocrat Soubanh
Srithirath, a minister of the President's Office overseeing the country's
counter anti-drugs efforts. The party adopted a resolution here to make Laos
an opium-free nation by 2005.
Laos' Minister of Agriculture, Sieng Saphangthong, and Minister of Public
Health, Ponemek Dalaloy, joined Sombat Yialiheu, Cheuying Vang, and Le
Kakanya, governors of Xayabouly, Houaphanh and Khammouane provinces,
respectively, on the new Central Committee.
In fact, the governors of all 16 provinces are now part of the Central
Committee, giving them both a promotion and more work, as they will be
charged with carrying out local investment and economic activities.
Thirteenth-ranked Somsavat Lengsavad, the country's foreign minister, was
initially tipped for election to the powerful body but was not elected.
Yesterday he said he was not disappointed.
"I don't need to be on the Politburo to manage foreign affairs," said
Somsavat, who will begin his third five-year term on the Central Committee.
BY DON PATHAN
The Nation
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