General Khamtai Siphandon is a Laotian

Laos

Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...

 politician who was President of Laos

President of Laos

The President of Laos is the head of state of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos.The office of the President was created in 1975, after the takeover of the country by the Pathet Lao, which abolished the monarchy. A member of the deposed royal family, Prince Souphanouvong, was the first...

 from February 24, 1998, until June 8, 2006, when he was officially replaced by Choummaly Sayasone

Choummaly Sayasone

Lieutenant General Choummaly Sayasone is General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic...

.

Khamtai also served as chairman, or leader, of the communist Lao People's Revolutionary Party

Lao People's Revolutionary Party

The Lao People's Revolutionary Party is a communist political party that has governed Laos since 1975. The policy-making organs are the politburo and the central committee. A party congress, which elects members to the politburo and central committee, is held every five years...

, the only legal party in the country, from November 24, 1992, until March 21, 2006, when he was replaced by Choummaly. As expected, he stepped down as President soon after the April 30, 2006, National Assembly

National Assembly of Laos

The unicameral National Assembly of Laos is the parliament of Laos. It was established in its current form by the Lao Constitution of 1991 , replacing the Supreme People's Assembly. After the December 1997 elections, the number of seats were increased to 99, a new structure was announced and...

 elections.

He was the military commander of the Pathet Lao

Pathet Lao

The Pathet Lao was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group was ultimately successful in assuming political power after the Laotian Civil War. The Pathet Lao were always closely associated with Vietnamese communists...

 rebellion. On its takeover of the Laotian government in 1975 he became minister of defense, commander of the army, and a deputy prime minister. On the creation of a presidential republic in 1991, he became prime minister

Prime Minister of Laos

The Prime Minister of Laos is the head of government of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos.-Prime Ministers:-Trivia:Between December 1959 to December 1960, Laos had 6 different Prime Ministers, after being ousted by 6 different political coups....

, succeeding party leader Kaysone Phomvihane

Kaysone Phomvihane

Kaysone Phomvihane was the leader of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party from 1955, though Souphanouvong served in a figurehead role...

, who became president. General Khamtai Siphandon became party leader on Kaysone's death, and later succeeded Nouhak Phoumsavanh

Nouhak Phoumsavanh

Nouhak Phoumsavanh or Phoumsavan was a longtime Pathet Lao revolutionary and communist party official who was President of Laos from 1992 to 1998....

as president. In 2006, became the Advisor of Party's Central Committee.