:
Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May 1998) cabinet: Cabinet
elections: none; according to the constitution, the leader of the
majority party in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister;
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 (120 seats, 80 by direct popular vote and 40 by
proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms);
note - number of seats in the Assembly rose from 80 to 120 in the May 2002
election elections: last held NA May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 54%, BNP 21%, LPC 7%,
other 18%; seats by party - LCD 76, BNP 21, LPC 5, other 18

Judicial branch: High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch);
Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court

Political parties and leaders: Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Tseliso
MAKHAKHE]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justine Metsing
LEKHANYA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Phebe MOTEBANO,
chairwoman; Pakalitha MOSISILI, leader] - the governing party; Lesotho
People's Congress or LPC [Kelebone MAOPE]; United Democratic Party or UDP
[Charles MOFELI]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP and Setlamo Alliance
[Vincent MALEBO]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Chief Peete Nkoebe
PEETE]; Sefate Democratic Party or SDP [Bofihla NKUEBE]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC,
ISO (subscriber), 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
Molelekeng Ernestina RAPOLAKI FAX: [1]
[1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536 chancery:
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Robert G. LOFTIS em