VIENTIANE, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Lao cabinet is reshuffled at the concluding meeting of the Fourth Ordinary Session of the National Assembly (Ninth Legislature) of Laos held in Lao capital Vientiane on Friday, according to local TV reports.

Phankham Viphavanh, in his speech at the National Assembly (NA) meeting, said to resign from the post of prime minister for reaching the retirement age and health problems.

Phankham Viphavanh, born in 1951, was elected as prime minister of the Lao government by the National Assembly in March 2021. He once served as vice president, vice prime minister, minister of education of Laos, Huaphan provincial governor and so on.

The NA meeting has also approved the nomination from Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, naming Sonexay Siphandone as the new prime minister, with an overwhelming majority winning 149 out of the 151 votes.

Sonexay, a politburo member of the ruling Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) central committee, was elected to the LPRP Central Committee at the Eighth National Congress in 2006, and to the LPRP Politburo at the 10th National Congress in 2016.

Sonexay served as deputy prime minister of the Lao government before Friday's election.