Bouasone Bouphavanh

Infobox Prime Minister
name = Bouasone Bouphavanh


order = Prime Minister of Laos
president = Choummaly Sayasone
deputy =
term_start = 08 June 2006
term_end =
predecessor = Bounnhang Vorachith
successor =
birth_date = birth date and age|1954|06|03|df=y
birth_place = Ban Tao Poun, Muang Salavan, Salavan, Laos
death_date =
death_place =
spouse = Sumly Bouphavanh
party = PPPL

Bouasone Bouphavanh (born June 3, 1954 in Ban Tao Poun, Muang Salavan, Salavan Province) is the prime minister of Laos. He was officially appointed to the office by the National Assembly of Laos on June 8, 2006, during a major government reshuffle. He replaced Bounnhang Vorachith who became vice president. Bouasone had previously served as first deputy prime minister since October 3, 2003. Before that, he was third deputy prime minister and was president of the State Planning Committee.

Educated at a primary school and Secondary school in Salavanh Province and Champasak Province from 1961--1974 and at the Communist Party Institute in Moscow, former Soviet Union, from 1986--1990.

Trained in the Soviet Union and appointed prime minister at the age of 52, Bouasone is part of a new generation of leaders in the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, harbingering a possible shift in Laos' traditional firm reliance on its ties to Vietnam, to increased reliance and cooperation with China [cite news |first= Brian |last= McCartan |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= China and Vietnam square off in Laos |url= http://atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JH30Ae01.html |work= |publisher= |date=2008-08-29 |accessdate=2008-08-30 ] . He ranks seventh in the Politburo. In 1975, shortly before the fall of Vientiane to the Pathet Lao, he was a student activist who played a key role in protests against the previous regime. He is considered a protege of former party leader Khamtai Siphandon.

References

*Lauras, Didier (June 8, 2006). [http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060608/wl_asia_afp/laospolitics_060608133416;_ylt=AojiKHHy33VxeHqBgDQvfcHtOrgF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA-- "Laos appoints Bouasone Bouphavanh prime minister"] , Agence France-Presse (via Yahoo!).
* Ganjanakhundee, Supalak (June 9, 2006). [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/06/09/regional/regional_30006108.php "Choummaly endorsed as president of Laos"] , "The Nation".
*Khao San Pathet Lao (KPL) (June 9, 2006). [http://www.kplnet.net/lao/news/dnl03.htm "Pawat-nyo khong Than Bouasone Bouphavanh, Na-nyok lat-tha-mon-tee haeng SPP Lao (Brief history of Mr. Bouasone Bouphavanh, Prime Minister of the Lao PDR"] , Khao San Pathet Lao (Lao News Agency, in Lao).