Laotians vote to elect local and national representatives

Laotians came forward to vote on Sunday for representatives of the National Assembly and the newly-founded Provincial People's Council. Laos national television showed footage of President Choummaly Sayasone and his wife voting at a polling station in the capital, Vientiane. The country's national television reported that polling stations across the country had opened at 7:00 a.m. local time. "I am happy to see people come to the polling station early in the morning. People are showing concern and enthusiasm to exercise their rights to choose their representatives," said Sayasone. Once the Laos National Assembly convenes, it will go on to choose a new prime minister and cabinet to run the fast-growing communist country for five years. The National Assembly is the only national poll that the country's public, reported by Laos' KPL news agency as including 3.74 million eligible voters, is able to vote in. A Laos official said the results of the election are expected in one week's time.