embly for a five-year term

election results: KHAMTAI Siphandon elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote - NA%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (99 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - by
presidential decree, on 27 October 1997, the number of seats
increased from 85 to 99)

elections: last held 21 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
LPRP or LPRP-approved (independent, non-party members) 99

Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court (the president of the
People's Supreme Court is elected by the National Assembly on the
recommendation of the National Assembly Standing Committee; the vice
president of the People's Supreme Court and the judges are appointed
by the National Assembly Standing Committee)

Political parties and leaders: Lao People's Revolutionary Party or
LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president]; other parties proscribed

Political pressure groups and leaders: noncommunist political groups
proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975

International organization participation: ACCT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN,
CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW,
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
VANG Rattanavong

chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416

FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
(vacant); Charge d'Affairs Karen Brevard STEWART

embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, B. P. 114, Vientiane

mailing address: American Embassy, Box V, APO AP 96546

telephone: [856] (21) 212581, 212582, 212585

FAX: [856] (21) 212584

Flag description: three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double
width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band

Laos Economy

Economy - overview: The government of Laos - one of the few
remaining official communist states - began decentralizing control
and encouraging private enterprise in 1986. The results, starting
from an extremely low base, were striking - growth averaged 7%
during 1988-97. Reform efforts subsequently slowed, and GDP growth
dropped an average of 3 percentage points. Because Laos depends
heavi