Laos elections seen bringing little change  

By Sutin Wannabovorn
    VIENTIANE, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Laotians preparing to vote 
in Sunday's elections to the National Assembly can expect 
little change in the communist country after the poll, 
diplomats said.
   The tight control of the ruling Lao People's 
Revolutionary Party (LPRP) over the candidates means there 
will be no progress for opposition groups, they said.
   "The election will lead to even more conservative 
government and to a continuity of the party's (LPRP) 
domination," said one.
   There are currently only four non-LPRP members among the 
85 seats in the National Assembly.
   After Sunday, the number of assembly seats will increase 
to 99.
   The country's election commission has rejected six of the 
10 people who wanted to contest the poll as non-party 
candidates. As a result, only four non-LPRP politicians will 
be among the 160 candidates vying for the 99 seats.
   A large percentage of the country's 2.5 million eligible 
voters were expected to turn out for the election -- the 
fourth since the ruling party took power in 1975.
   The LPRP, which for 22 years has run the country with 
communist-style leadership, claims the election is 
significant as it is the first since the country's entry 
into the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) 
this year.
   Full membership of ASEAN had challenged the country 
"...to make efforts to progress with the nationalist spirit 
and to cooperate with all nations in the region and in the 
world within the new environment," Chaleum Ya Paoleu, chief 
of the National Election Commission said in a recent speech.
   "This has confirmed that the fourth election of the 
National Assembly has a deep significance for the interior 
and exterior of Lao PDR (People's Democratic Republic)," he 
said in a recent speech to foreign diplomats.
    Diplomats are sceptical of this, but expect some 
shuffling of the political hierarchy early next year.
   "The result of election will not be a surprise at all. 
But I think a little change in government is expected to 
take place in February," another diplomat said.
   The five-year term for President Nouhak Phoumsavan, who 
was re-elected in February 1993, will expire in February 
when the 82-year old is expected to retire.
   The prime minister, General Khamtay Siphandone, is 
expected to replace him. He is also chairman of the LPRP.
   "Then the NA (National Assembly) will be told by the 
party to vote for the new premier," the second diplomat 
said.
   He said deputy prime minister Boungyang Vorachith and 
National Assembly president Samane Vingnaket were tipped as 
top candidates to step into Khamtay's shoes as prime 
minister.
   Another diplomat said Boungyang was most likely to get 
the job.
   "I think Boungyang is most likely to be picked as new 
premier, because of his reputation of being pragmatic and 
active in getting things done," he said.
   Lao citizens seemed mostly unexcited about the election.
   "Most of the people will go to vote because the party 
said it is a public duty, but I'm not interested in who is 
going to be what...it's just a headache," said an employee 
in a tourist company.