President Thongloun Calls for Integrity-Driven Reforms, Stronger Governance Ahead of Party Congress

Vientiane: Addressing the 12th National Organization Work Conference, Mr. Thongloun emphasized the need to build a clean, strong, and resilient Party by tackling corruption, patronage, and ideological decline. He urged Party organizations at all levels to combat the 'Four Isms' and 'Five Diseases,' warning that such practices undermine public trust and weaken the Party's leadership capacity. According to Lao News Agency, a central theme of his address was the importance of cultivating officials with both strong moral character and professional competence. He stressed that the selection, recruitment, and promotion of personnel should be based on integrity, capability, and demonstrated performance rather than personal connections or patronage. He also reiterated that officials who fail to fulfill their responsibilities should make way for more capable successors under the principle of 'entry and exit, promotion and demotion.' The Party leader further called for reforms to improve the welfare and remuneration of civil servants, military personnel, and police officers in line with living costs, arguing that better compensation would help curb corruption, strengthen public service motivation, and retain qualified personnel. On institutional reform, Mr. Thongloun urged continued efforts to streamline and modernize the state apparatus, enhance administrative efficiency, expand digital governance, and delegate greater responsibilities to local authorities while strengthening oversight, monitoring, and accountability. He also highlighted the importance of grassroots governance, calling for the planned establishment of 621 sub-district administrations by 2027 to improve public service delivery, support rural development and poverty reduction, and cultivate a new generation of capable local leaders. In preparation for the forthcoming three-level Party congresses and the 13th National Congress, he instructed relevant bodies to begin early planning by reviewing regulations, refining organizational structures, and prepari ng qualified leadership personnel for future responsibilities. Concluding his remarks, Mr. Thongloun underscored that strong institutions and high-quality human resources are essential to achieving Laos' long-term development goals. He called for a shift from emphasizing quantity to prioritizing quality, innovation, accountability, and service to the people, describing effective organizational work as the cornerstone of implementing Party policies and advancing national development.