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Lesotho - Government and Political Conditions (Notes)

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS The Lesotho Government is a constitutional monarchy. The Prime Minister, Pakalitha Mosisili, is head of government and has executive authority. The King serves a largely ceremonial function; he no longer possesses any executive authority and is proscribed from actively participating in political initiatives. The Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) controls a majority in the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament), with All Basotho Congress (ABC), the National Independent Party, and the Lesotho Workers Party among the 9 opposition parties represented. The upper house of parliament, called the Senate, is composed of 22 principal chiefs whose membership is hereditary, and 11 appointees of the King, acting on the advice of the prime minister. The constitution provides for an independent judicial system. The judiciary is made up of the Court of Appeal, the High Court, Magistrate's Courts, and traditional courts that exist predominately in rural areas. All but one of the Justices on the Court of Appeal are South African jurists. There is no trial by jury; rather, judges make rulings alone, or, in the case of criminal trials, with two other judges as observers. The constitution also protects basic civil liberties, including freedom of speech, association, and the press; freedom of peaceful assembly; and freedom of religion. For administrative purposes, Lesotho is divided into 10 districts, each headed by a district administrator. Lesotho held its first post-independence local government elections on April 30, 2005 using a quota system that reserved one-third of electoral divisions for women candidates. In these elections, 53% of the victorious candidates were women. Locally elected officialsattended post-election training while regulations for local governance were drawn up by the National Assembly and infrastructure was created. Principal Government Officials Head of State--King Letsie III Cabinet Prime Minister--Pakalitha Mosisili Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs and Public Safety--Archibald Lesao Lehohla Minister of Defense--Pakalitha Mosisili (also Prime Minister) Minister of Foreign Affairs--Mohlabi Kenneth Tsekoa, MP Minister of Education and Training--Dr. Mamphono Khaketla Minister of Natural Resources--Monyane Moleleki, MP Minister of Local Government--Pontso Sekatle Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Rehabilitation, Law and Constitutional Affairs--Mpeo Mahase-Moiloa, MP Minister of Finance and Development Planning--Timothy Thahane Minister of Tourism, Environment, and Culture--Lebohang Ntsinyi Minister of Public Service--Pakalitha Mosisili (also Prime Minister) Minister of Trade and Industry, Cooperatives, and Marketing--Mpho 'Mali Malie Minister of Communications, Science, and Technology--Mothojoa Metsing, MP Minister of Health and Social Welfare--Dr. Mphu Ramatlapeng, Senator Minister of Employment and Labor--Moses Refiloe Masemene Minister of Agriculture and Food Security--Lesole Mokoma, MP Minister of Gender, Youth, Sports, and Recreation--Mathabiso Lepono Minister in the Prime Minister's Office--Dr. Motloheloa Phooko, Senator Minister of Public Works and Transportation--Ts'ele Chakela Assistant Minister of Justice, Human Rights, and Rehabilitation, Law and Constitutional Affairs--Mothejoa Metsing Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry, Cooperatives, and Marketing--Popane Lebesa, MP Assistant Minister of Education and Training--Dr. Mamphono Khaketla, MP Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Food Security--Molise T'seole Assistant Minister of Sports, Gender, and Youth Affairs--Hlonepho Nts'ekhe Ambassador to the United States--Molelekeng Ernestina Rapolaki Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations--Lebohang Moleko Lesotho maintains an embassy in the United States at 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel: 202-797-5533). Lesotho's mission to the United Nations is located at 204 East 39th Street, New York, NY 10016 (tel: 212-661-1690).