Laos election without plurality: anti-corruption activist found dead
More than 4.7 million people were eligible to vote in yesterday’s election to the Lao National Assembly, dominated by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party to. On the same day, the death of activist Bao Mo Khaen, known for his outspoken denunciations of corruption and restrictions on freedom of expression, was confirmed. Before the vote, one of the few non-party lawmakers dropped out.
Vientiane (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Yesterday, elections were held for Laos’s 175-member National Assembly and for provincial People’s Councils, with candidates hand-picked by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP).
More than 4.7 million Laotians were eligible to vote out of a population of almost eight million, local sources reported. For the authorities, the event was a crucial step towards the country's stability and development.
This vote was again a reminder that Laos is ruled by a single-party system that tolerates no form of dissent. In fact, the death of activist Bao Mo Khaen, known on social media as Mr. Khaen, was confirmed on the same day.
According to the Manushya Foundation, an NGO working for human rights in Southeast Asia, Khaen was kidnapped near his home by soldiers on 14 February.
The organisation’s director, Emilie Palamy Pradichit, notes that death threats against Khaen had increased in recent months over his social media videos, in which he denounced government corruption and the lack of freedom of expression.
His body was found in a forest last Friday, and his death was confirmed by his family yesterday.
This is not an isolated case. In June last year, Joseph Akaravong, a Laotian activist who had taken refuge in France, escaped an assassination attempt.
In Laos, government authorities often dismiss these cases as motorcycle accidents, the Manushya Foundation explained, but the government shows a pattern of targeted killings. In the past, the bodies of other missing activists have been found near their motorcycles.
What is more, not everything in the election appeared to be entirely transparent. Valy Vetsaphong, one of the very few non-ruling party lawmakers, removed her name from the ballot a few days before the vote.
Highly regarded for her fight against financial crime and the sell-off of national assets to China, the 57-year-old, a member of the Lao Chamber of Commerce, stated that she wants to focus on her business and private life. Several observers believe she likely faced strong political pressure, especially due to her popularity among younger Laotians on social media.
Compared to previous elections, the latest saw greater online political debate and the presence of younger candidates.
As a Member of the National Assembly, Valy Vetsaphong had repeatedly called for officials found guilty of corruption to be "punished and demoted like in other countries." She had called for a comprehensive overhaul of the financial sector to address the currency crisis and opposed the sale of the national airline to China:
Such positions found a strong echo across the country, especially among "Generation Z”, frustrated by corruption and economic hardship.
Yesterday's vote followed the 12th National Congress of the LPRP, held last month, which re-elected Thongloun Sisoulith as secretary general for a second term.
At this event, the party mapped out the path to achieve economic independence and abandon its "least developed country" status by the end of the year and enter the upper-middle-income classification by 2055.
In fact, Laos reported excellent macroeconomic data last year. GDP growth is estimated at 4.8 per cent, higher than the average of the previous five years, while inflation (which had remained in double digits for years) fell to 5.6 per cent in December.
Foreign exchange reserves have also risen, reaching approximately US$ 3.5 billion, thanks to exports, tourism (4.6 million visitors in 2025), and foreign direct investment.
At the same time, like in Vietnam, the government structure was streamlined with the number of ministries going from 17 to 13.
However, public debt, while declining from the peaks of previous years, remains high, at around 83 per cent of GDP.
The country’s economy continues to be heavily dependent on foreign investment, particularly from China, the main creditor of the Belt and Road Initiative, but also from Vietnam and Thailand, with whom several infrastructure projects have been agreed.
After the announcement of the winners of the parliamentary elections in the coming days, the new National Assembly will be called upon to name government leaders, a move that could pave the way for a gradual generational turnover and a more technocratic style of governance.
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