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Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form: Lesotho
former: Basutoland
Data code: LT
Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital: Maseru
Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
Independence: 4 October 1966 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Constitution: 2 April 1993
Legal system: based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996, succeeded
to the throne following the death of his father, King MOSHOESHOE
II, on 16 January 1996); note—King LETSIE III formerly occupied
the throne (November 1990 to February 1995) while his father was
in exile
head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since NA
May 1998)
cabinet: Cabinet
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms
of the constitution which came into effect after the March 1993
election, the monarch is a "living symbol of national unity"
with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law
the college of chiefs has the power to determine who is next in
the line of succession, who shall serve as regent in the event
that the successor is not of mature age, and may even depose the
monarch
Legislative branch: bicameral
Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members—22 principal
chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party) and
the Assembly (80 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year
terms); note—number of seats in the Assembly rose from 65
to 80 in the May 1998 election
elections: last held 23 May 1998 (next to be held in late 1999
or early 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party—LCD 61%; seats
by party—LCD 79, BCP 1
note: results contested; LCD, with only 61% of the vote, won 79
out of 80 parliamentary seats based on a historical political
consensus for a "winner take all" formula
Judicial branch: High Court, chief justice appointed by the monarch; Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court
Political parties and leaders:
ruling party: Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Dr. Pakalitha
MOSISILI, leader; Shakhane MOKHEHLE, secretary general]
opposition party: Basotho National Party or BNP [leader NA]; Basotholand
Congress Party or BCP [Molapo QHOBELA]; Lesotho Labor Party/United
Democratic Party Alliance or LLP/UDP [Charles MOFELI and Mamolefi
RANTHIMO]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO]; National
Progressive Party or NPP [Chief Peete Nkoebe PEETE]; Sefate Democratic
Union or SDU [Bofihla NKUEBE]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy
or LCD [leader NA]
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in
the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Eunice M. BULANE
chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536
FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815
Diplomatic representation from
the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Katherine H. PETERSON
embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)
mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho
telephone: [266] 312666
FAX: [266] 310116
Flag description: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper half is white, bearing the brown silhouette of a large shield with crossed spear and club; the lower half is a diagonal blue band with a green triangle in the corner