| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Sapha Heng Xat / National Assembly |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| LEGAL FRAMEWORK |
| Electoral Law |
12 April 1997
Last amended: 14 December 2015 |
| Mode of designation |
directly elected 149 |
| Constituencies |
18 multimember constituencies (minimum of 5 and maximum of 19 seats, according to population)*.
*Five members for the provinces with less than 250,000 citizens. For other provinces, one member for every 50,000 citizens. The maximum number of members per province is 19. |
| Voting system |
Majority:
Party-list simple majority vote.
Vacancies arising between general elections are filled through by-elections.
Voting is not compulsory. |
| Voter requirements |
- age: 18 years
- Lao citizenship |
| CANDIDATES |
| Eligibility |
- qualified electors
- age: 21 years
- Lao citizenship
- ineligibilities: insanity, deprivation of civil and political rights by court decision |
| Incompatibilities |
(not applicable) |
| Candidacy requirements |
- support of local authorities or mass organisations required
- in each constituency, election committees receive and approve candidatures after having reduced them to a desired number |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Electoral system module
