The Lao government has declared Sunday's elections an historic event, which will mark what it calls a milestone in the country's development. In reality it will make very little difference to the political landscape here.

It's an election without a contest and the result is a foregone conclusion. 159 candidates have been approved by the People's Revolutionary Party.

Only four of them are independents who aren't party members. Each candidate has been given a ranking of preference, just to help the electorate make sure the right people are chosen.

The party isn't prepared to take any risks. During the past year the National Assembly, has tried to challenge its line over key pieces of legislation, this is considered to be unacceptable.

To make sure the assembly doesn't continue to flex its muscles, the educated technocrats who were given prominent roles in the present legislature, will be replaced with more conservative party veterans. This clean out will allow the party to tighten its grip on power.

These are difficult times for the country's communist leaders. The financial crisis in neighbouring Thailand has effected the economy, which is plagued with rising inflation and a tumbling currency.