Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – The 12th National Congress of the Lao National Development Front (LFND) concluded on Wednesday in the capital, Vientiane. The congress reviewed the achievements of the past five years, clarified the development priorities for 2026-2030, and elected a new leadership. Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith addressed the closing ceremony, calling on the LFND to fundamentally transform its working model, focusing on people's livelihoods to strengthen national unity and promote self-reliant national development.
President Thongloun emphasized that the LFND needs to fundamentally change its methods of mobilizing the masses, "resolutely avoiding bureaucratic and administrative tendencies," and shifting its focus to the grassroots communities at the village, township, and county levels, using flexible and diverse methods to meet the needs of the people and carry out practical work. He pointed out that the LFND should play a core mediating role in building community harmony, resolving internal conflicts based on the principles of compassion, fairness, and dignity, while taking the consolidation of multi-ethnic unity as its core mission, enhancing the people's sense of responsibility for national development, and resolutely resisting actions that use human rights and democracy issues to create division.
In terms of governance and economic development, Thongloun Sisoulith proposed the need to build a governance mechanism that ensures "public awareness, participation, oversight, and benefit," and to promote the LFND's greater role in supervising the performance of state organs, reflecting public opinion, and combating issues such as drug abuse, corruption, and abuse of power. In the economic sphere, the focus should be on self-reliance, promoting a shift from a consumption-driven to a production-driven society. This can be achieved by expanding cooperative models, improving rural development funds, and strengthening community production to help rural areas increase income and alleviate poverty. Support should also be given to the national rural development plan, and new lifestyles should be promoted to unleash the potential for family development. Furthermore, he called for deepening international cooperation through people-to-people diplomacy and encouraging overseas Lao compatriots to contribute to national development.
The congress elected a new Central Committee of 250 members (including 55 women and 20 Buddhist monks) and appointed Professor Dr. Khik Khaikhampithon as Chairman of the LFND and several Vice-Chairmen. In his inaugural address, Kiko pledged that, under the leadership of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, he would continue to build consensus among the multi-ethnic groups, promote patriotism and self-reliance, and unite members of domestic and international fronts and various sectors of society to jointly address development challenges.
As a national united front organization led by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the LFND was formerly known as the Lao Ishala Front, established in 1950, and officially renamed in 1979. Its core functions include mass mobilization, national unity building, and supervision of religious affairs. The convening of this conference lays an important foundation for Laos to consolidate social forces and promote national development in the next stage.
