But Laos has seen little political evolution and the LPRP retains tight control. In 1998, changes in the upper echelons of the regime promoted Khamtay Siphandone, one of the few remaining veterans of the original Pathet Lao leadership, to the position of president and head of the LPRP politburo in place of the retiring Phoumsavanh. Elections to the National Assembly were held in February 2002: all candidates belonged to the LPRP, bar one (who was, nonetheless, government-approved). This did nothing to help the government's major internal problem: the growing insurgency by the Hmong people, a neglected ethnic minority located in the north of the country. A steady stream of violent attacks have been launched by the Hmong during past years. More recently, there have been little in the way of attempts to initiate major reforms.