VIENTIANE, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The general election of members of the National Assembly's ninth legislature and the provincial people's councils' second legislature has been scheduled for Feb. 21, the state-run Lao News Agency (KPL) reported Monday.
Altogether 224 candidates, including 49 women, have been listed for the general election of the National Assembly (NA) while 789 candidates including 227 women have been listed for the election of the provincial people's councils (PPCs), according to the National Election Committee.
"Over 4.27 million voters including over 2.1 million women are expected to cast their votes on the election day," Spokesperson of the National Election Committee Somphou Douangsavanh told a press conference on Monday.
The number of members in the ninth legislature will increase to reflect the country's growing population, said a former report in last November from Vientiane Times, a local state-run daily, adding that members of both bodies represent the rights and benefits of the multi-ethnic Lao people in parliament.
The number of members in the ninth legislature will increase to reflect the country's growing population. The election of members to the NA's eighth legislature and the first newly-established people's councils took place on March 20, 2016, comprising 149 NA members and 360 PPC members.
According to Presidential Decree No. 200 signed on November 10, 2020, a total of 164 members out of 224 candidates will be elected to the National Assembly; Provincial people's councils will have 492 members elected from 789 candidates. Enditem
