Dec 24, 2010
DPA
Vientiane, Laos - Laos' newly appointed prime minister has come to office with a pledge to improve the way the communist government works, state media reports said Friday.
In a surprise development, the National Assembly on Thursday evening approved the appointment of Thongsing Thammavong to replace former prime minister Bouasone Bouphavanh, who tendered his resignation earlier the same day due to 'family issues.'
'I will improve the way the government works to ensure state activities are timely, transparent, united and harmonious and create favorable conditions for the Lao people to earn a living based on the law,' Thongsing told the assembly, the Vientiane Times reported.
Thongsing was house speaker before taking on the premiership.
National Assembly vice speaker Pany Yathortou has replaced him as house speaker, making her the first woman to hold the post since 1975, when land-locked Laos opted for a communist system.
Thongsing was Minister of Culture from 1983 to 1988 and Vientiane Mayor from 2002 to 2006.
His appointment comes just months before the Lao Communist Party congress to be held some time in March, with a general election to follow in April.
In all previous elections, only the Lao Communist Party had been allowed to field candidates, although independents were permitted.
Thongsing's appointment was made at the closing day of the National Assembly winter session.
The assembly on Thursday also endorsed a plan to construct a high speed train link between China's Yunnan province and Vientiane.
0 comments:
Post a Comment