Khamtai Siphandone | |
|---|---|
ຄຳໄຕ ສີພັນດອນ | |
.jpg) Siphandone in 2004 | |
| Chairman of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party | |
| In office 24 November 1992 – 21 March 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Kaysone Phomvihane |
| Succeeded by | Choummaly Sayasone (asGeneral Secretary) |
| 4thPresident of Laos | |
| In office 24 February 1998 – 8 June 2006 | |
| Prime Minister | |
| Vice President | |
| Preceded by | Nouhak Phoumsavanh |
| Succeeded by | Choummaly Sayasone |
| 12thPrime Minister of Laos | |
| In office 15 August 1991 – 24 February 1998 | |
| President | |
| Preceded by | Kaysone Phomvihane |
| Succeeded by | Sisavath Keobounphanh |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Laos | |
| In office 2 December 1975 – 15 August 1991 | |
| Minister of Defense | |
| In office 2 December 1975 – 15 August 1991 | |
| Prime Minister | Kaysone Phomvihane |
| Preceded by | Post established |
| Succeeded by | Choummaly Sayasone |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1924-02-08)8 February 1924 |
| Died | 2 April 2025(2025-04-02) (aged 101) Vientiane, Laos |
| Political party | Lao People's Revolutionary Party (1955–2006) |
| Spouse | Thongvanh Siphandone |
| Children | 6, includingSonexay,Viengthong |
| Relatives | Khampheng Saysompheng (son-in-law) |
Khamtai Siphandone (Lao:ຄຳໄຕ ສີພັນດອນ; 8 February 1924 – 2 April 2025) was a Laotian politician who served as the chairman of theLao People's Revolutionary Party from 1992 to 2006 and as the fourthpresident of Laos[1] from 1998 to 2006, when he was replaced byChoummaly Sayasone. He joined theIndochinese Communist Party in 1954 and became a member of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party in 1956.
Siphandone was born on 8 February 1924[2] in the village of Huakhongphayai inKhong district to Ny Nilaxay and Saybua Nilaxay, and was among six siblings. He came from a peasant family from the far south of Laos in present-dayChampasak province. In 1931, at the age of seven, he was among several children selected by an officer of the department of religious affairs in Vientiane to study in the city, thus beginning his primary education. He later attended the College PAVIE for his secondary education, but left in 1941 after the official's death left Siphandone unable to financially sustain his studies.[3]
His first job was as a postman. After taking a specialized course inSaigon, he became a telegrapher inPhongsaly province in 1944.[3] He joined the national liberation movementLao Issara, which stood for the independence of Laos and against the return of the French protectorate administration, after the end of theSecond World War.
Before the French regained control ofSavannakhet in March 1946, Siphandone seized the entire provincial fund (150,000 piastres). He became an officer of the armed wing of the movement and in 1948 their representative for southern Laos. After the split of Lao Issara in 1950 he joined theViet Minh-backedPathet Lao.[4]
In 1954, Siphandone became a member of theCommunist Party of Indochina, and in 1955 the Lao People's Party, on whose central committee he served from 1957. He was considered a close confidant of the first Secretary-GeneralKaysone Phomvihane. In 1962 he became his successor as chief of staff of the armed units of the Pathet Lao. In 1966 he became commander-in-chief of the resulting "Lao People's Liberation Army", which fought, withNorth Vietnamese support, in theLaotian Civil War against the royal troops. In 1972 he rose to membership in the Politburo of theLPRP.[4]
Siphandone was the military commander of thePathet Lao rebellion.[5] After the successful Communist takeover in 1975, he became theMinister of Defense and aDeputy Prime Minister of Laos.[5] During the5th Party Congress in 1991, Siphandone was the third highest-ranking member of the party leadership, afterKaysone Phomvihane andNouhak Phoumsavanh.[6] On 15 August 1991, he succeeded Kaysone, who had left office to become president, asPrime Minister of Laos. After the death of longtime party leader Kaysone in 1992, Siphandone becameChairman of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.[5]
Siphandone succeededNouhak Phoumsavanh as president in 1998.[7] At the8th Party Congress in 2006, he became an advisor to the LPRP Central Committee.
Siphandone remained as party leader until 21 March 2006, when he was replaced by Choummaly.[8] He stepped down as president in June,[9] following the2006 Laotian parliamentary election.
Siphandone was married to Thongvanh Siphandone.[10] His sonSonexay joined the LPRP Politburo in 2016[11] and becamePrime Minister of Laos in 2022.[12] His daughterViengthong currently serves as President of the State Audit Organization.[13]
On 8 February 2024, heturned 100, and was sent congratulatory messages byGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of VietnamNguyễn Phú Trọng andPresident of VietnamVõ Văn Thưởng. The Vietnamese ambassador to Laos Nguyen Ba Hung presented a birthday gift to Siphandone to his son Sonexay.[14][15]
Siphandone died in his residence inVientiane, on 2 April 2025, at the age of 101. The Laotian government declared a period of mourning lasting from 3 to 7 April.[3] General Secretary of the Communist Party of VietnamTô Lâm,Prime Minister of VietnamPhạm Minh Chính,General Secretary of the Chinese Communist PartyXi Jinping,Prime Minister of ThailandPaetongtarn Shinawatra,King of ThailandMaha Vajiralongkorn andQueen of ThailandSuthida,Prime Minister of JapanShigeru Ishiba,President of RussiaVladimir Putin,General Secretary of the Workers' Party of KoreaKim Jong Un,President of CubaMiguel Díaz-Canel,Prime Minister of SingaporeLawrence Wong andPresident of SingaporeTharman Shanmugaratnam,President of BelarusAlexander Lukashenko andPrime Minister of CambodiaHun Manet issued messages of condolences upon Siphandone's death.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][excessive citations] On 3 April, Lâm led a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to Vientiane to pay respects to Siphandone.[28] Vietnam announced a period of mourning for two days starting on 4 April. Cuba also announced a period of mourning for one day from 5 April.[29][30]
Siphandone was granted astate funeral at the That Luang esplanade in Vientiane on 7 April 2025.[31]
Laos:
National Gold Medal
Order of Phoxay Lane Xang
Vietnam:
Gold Star Order (1993)[34]| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President of theLao Front for National Construction 1991–2001 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chairman of theLao People's Revolutionary Party 1992–2006 | Succeeded by Choummaly Sayasone (General Secretary) |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by None | Minister of Defense 1975–1991 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Laos 1991–1998 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of Laos 1998–2006 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | Chairperson ofASEAN 2004 | Succeeded by |
| Central Committee |
| ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Congress | |||||||||
| Leadership sittings |
| ||||||||
| Wider organization | |||||||||
| Ideology | |||||||||
Heads of state of Laos | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom of Laos Kings (1945–1975) | .svg) |
| Lao People's Democratic Republic Presidents (1975–) | |
* acting for Souphanouvong | |
| Kingdom of Laos (1945–1975) | |
|---|---|
| Lao People's Democratic Republic (1975–) | |
† military | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Other | |
_ribbon.svg)
