THE STRUCTURE OF LESOTHO'S GOVERNMENT -
BRANCHES AND PARTIES
THE EXECUTIVE BRANCHTHE LEGISLATIVE BRANCHTHE JUDICIAL BRANCHCURRENT POLITICAL PARTIES |
The Kingdom of Lesotho is led by a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, headed by King Letsie III and Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.
The Legislative Branch consists of a bicameral Parliament similar to the British Westminster parliamentary. The National Assembly makes up the lower house, and the upper house consists of the Senate.
A mixed electoral system, implemented back in 2002, requires the selection of 40 additional members proportional to 80 members chosen from single-member constituencies. The Judicial Branch consists of the Court of Appeal and High Court, the Magistrate Courts, Traditional Courts, and Marital Courts.
The latter two of the courts above are founded on the Laws of Lerotholi, which are taken into account when courts are dealing with domestic issues and boundary and succession disputes. Magistrate Courts, also known as Subordinate Courts, review the decisions made by the Traditional Courts and handle minor civil and criminal offenses. The High Court is the highest judicial court in Lesotho. The Court of Appeals reviews cases heard in the High Court, but only those related to the Constitution. The Lesotho government houses many political parties and their leaders. The most recent and significant parties are the All Basotho Convention (ABC) led by Motsoahae Thomas Thabane, the Democratic Congress (DC) led by Pakalitha Mosisili, and the Lesotho People's Congress (LPC) led by Molahalehi Letlotlo.
The ABC was formerly an opposition party defecting from the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) under Tom Thabane, who clamored for political reform. The DC exhibits its symbol, a three-legged pot, as a sign of reliability and strives to resolve issues related to poverty, healthcare, education, and public employment. The LPC continually supports the current coalition government and stresses the necessity of unison for future government success. Other political parties in Lesotho include the Basotho National Party (BNP), the Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), the National Independent Party (NIP), and the Popular Front for Democracy (PFD).
Militant branches include the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF), the Army (and Air Wing), and external security forces provided by the Republic of South Africa. |