June 24, 2024
VIENTIANE – The National Committee for the Amendment of the Constitution is reviewing the content of the 2015 Constitution with a view to making revisions to suit Laos’ changing circumstances.
The Politburo last month authorised the formation of the committee to amend the constitution, which will oversee the process and ensure it is carried out efficiently.
The committee will draft amendments from now until the middle of 2025 and has formed a secretariat and sub-committees to support its work.
In preparation for the process, a meeting took place in Vientiane on Thursday when committee members discussed some of the changes to be made, including more specific and accurate definitions of certain terms.
Speaking at the meeting, the President of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee and the National Committee for the Amendment of the Constitution, Dr Xaysomphone Phomvihane, said the planned changes will better support the Party and government’s development goals.
“This gathering will also assess past implementation of the 2015 version of the constitution. The committee plans to organise similar evaluation meetings across Laos,” he added.
Dr Xaysomphone said the central government bodies would hold further meetings to discuss the amendments, with a focus on four specific sectors.
The first will include Party organisations, Lao Front for National Development, Lao Veterans Federation, and mass organisations.
The second will comprise social and economic affairs, the third will relate to state powers, and the fourth will concern public security and national defence.
Evaluation meetings will be held at 18 locations in Vientiane and the provinces. There will also be an evaluation of the implementation of the constitution in the form of public opinion, including through social media platforms.
“At today’s meeting, we are evaluating the implementation of the constitution by Party organisations, the Lao Front for National Development, the Lao Veterans Federation, and central mass organisations,” Dr Xaysomphone said.
The meeting summarised and interpreted the implementation of the constitution over the past 10 years to identify its strong points, weaknesses, achievements, main problems, and inconsistencies.
Meeting participants considered lessons learnt and the various problems arising from the formulation of the 2015 constitution, which will be taken into account when making changes.
Changes to the existing constitution will be made to ensure greater accuracy, completeness and consistency, with the new version to be more focused and practical.
Representatives of various bodies contributed opinions and suggested clarifications to the content of the constitution, while several committee members promised to provide insightful contents after holding meetings with other groups.