Mrs Sounthone Xayachack gives a press briefing on the  candidates standing for election to the 10th National Assembly.

National Assembly election candidates named

The National Election Committee on January 25 announced the 243 candidates contesting 175 seats in the new National Assembly, with the nationwide election of members scheduled to take place on February 22.
Party Central Committee member, Vice President of the National Assembly, and member of the National Election Committee, Mrs Sounthone Xayachack, announced the candidates at a press briefing.
The list of candidates was approved at a meeting of the National Election Committee on January 23, in line with the Law on the Election of Members of the National Assembly and Provincial People’s Council and a presidential decree issued on December 30, 2025.
In Vientiane, 25 candidates are competing for 19 seats, while Savannakhet province has the largest field with 28 candidates contesting 21 seats. In Champasak province, 20 candidates are vying for 15 seats.
Other constituencies include Luang Prabang with 14 candidates competing for 10 seats, Vientiane province with 14 candidates contesting 10 seats, and Khammuan and Salavan, each with 14 candidates competing for 10 seats. Most other provinces have 10 to 13 candidates competing for seven to nine seats.
Of the 243 candidates, 66 are women, accounting for 27 percent of the total. A total of 175 members will be elected to the National Assembly’s 10th legislature.
Candidates at the central level number 67, including 18 women, while 176 candidates come from the local level, including 48 women. Some 37 members of the current 9th National Assembly are standing for re-election, including 15 women.
The candidate list includes one nominee from a state-run enterprise and nine from the private business sector, two of whom are women.
Four members of the Party Central Committee Politburo are among those running in the election, underlining the political weight of the 10th National Assembly.
They are the President of the National Assembly, Dr Xaysomphone Phomvihane, who is standing in Vientiane; Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, who is contesting a seat in Champasak; President of Lao Front for National Development, Prof. Dr Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune, who is running in Xiengkhouang; and Minister of Education and Sports, Associate Prof. Dr Thongsalith Mangnomek, who is standing in Vientiane province.
The announcement of the candidates is a key step in preparations for the National Assembly election, which allows voters to choose their representatives for the next five-year term.
The election will decide the overall composition of the 10th National Assembly, which plays a central role in lawmaking, national oversight, and determining the country’s development direction.
On election day, voters across Laos will also elect members of the 5th Provincial People’s Councils, who will hold office for the next five years.
The elections are among the most important events in the country’s political calendar, giving citizens a direct role in shaping national development.
Citizens aged 18 and above have the right to vote, while those aged 21 and above may stand as candidates. The National Assembly is one of the country’s three highest state authorities, with powers to draft and amend laws, approve senior state leaders, endorse national development plans, pass the state budget, and oversee major investment projects.
Candidate requirements stress political integrity, capability, and good health, while also encouraging participation by women, younger candidates and representatives of different ethnic groups and sectors, reflecting efforts to ensure inclusive and effective governance.

By Phonepaseuth Volakhoun
(Latest Update January 27, 2026)