Asia-Pacific News

Party congress to set conditions for socialism in Laos

Mar 14, 2011, 11:38 GMT

Party congress to set conditions for socialism in Laos =

Vientiane, Laos (dpa) - Laos is to kick off a five-day communist party congress later this week to help set the 'basic conditions' for socialism in the country, state media reported Monday.

Hiem Phommachanh, deputy head of the external relations committee of the party central committee, said the 9th Party Congress would be held from Thursday until March 21, the Vientiane Times reported.

Laos, one of the world's last communist states, continues to strive for socialism as its ultimate economic goal, Hiem said.

'Laos has consistently embraced Marxism-Leninism as the basis for its ideology and upheld the country's development orientation towards socialism,' Hiem said.

He said the congress, which is due to elect new members of the party's executive body, review progress over the past five years and outline the road map for the next five years, will help create 'the basic conditions for Laos to move towards socialism.'

After its election, the 9th Central Committee is to elect the party secretary general and politburo members.

Laos, still ranked among the world's poorest nations by the United Nations, has set a goal of graduating from its current status as a least developed developing country by the year 2020.

Hiem said foreign political delegations would not be invited to attend this congress, which is usually a closed-door affair.

Laos has been under one-party communist rule since December 1975.

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