ad of government: 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 (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 2000; date to be
determined by Interim Political Authority)
election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 61%; seats by party -
LCD 79, BNP 1
note: results contested; opposition parties claimed the election was
fraudulent and staged a coup; Southern African Development Community
(SADC) forces intervened in September 1998 and restored order; the
Interim Political Authority (IPA) was set up in December 1998 to
create a new electoral system and conduct new elections within 18
months

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 National Party or BNP [Maj.
Gen. Justine Metsing LEKHANYA]; Basotholand Congress Party or BCP
[Molapo QHOBELA, leader (currently suspended), Ntsukunyane MPHANYA,
secretary general]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Dr.
Pakalitha MOSISILI, leader; Shakhane MOKHEHLE, secretary general] -
the governing party; United Democratic Party or UDP ;
Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP and Setlamo Alliance ;
National Progressive Party or NPP ; Sefate
Democratic Party or SDP

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, 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

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