Choummaly Sayasone
He was elected as the LPRP's General Secretary on 21 March 2006 , in the aftermath of the Party's 8th Congress , by the first plenum of the eighth Central Committee , succeeding Khamtai Siphandon as "de facto" leader of Laos . 
<triplet> Khamtai Siphandon <subj> General Secretary <obj> position held