Lesotho

The Kingdom of Lesotho ('Muso oa Lesotho) is a country in southern Africa. It is an enclave-nation, entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. Formerly Basutoland, it is a member of the British Commonwealth. The name Le-sotho roughly translates into "the land of the people who speak Sotho".

History

Main article: History of Lesotho

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After many years as a British protectorate, Lesotho gained full independence from the United Kingdom on October 4, 1966. In January 1970 the ruling Basotho National Party (BNP) appeared set to lose the first post-independence general elections when Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan annulled the election. He refused to cede power to the Basotho Congress Party (BCP) and imprisoned its leadership.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - October 4 - 1966 - Basotho National Party - Leabua Jonathan - Basotho Congress Party

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The BNP ruled by decree until January 1986 when a military coup forced them out of office. The Military Council that came into power granted executive powers to King Moshoeshoe II, who was until then a ceremonial monarch. In 1987, however, the King was forced into exile after a falling out with the army. His son was installed as King Letsie III.

Related Topics:
Decree - January - 1986 - Coup - King - Moshoeshoe II - 1987 - King Letsie III

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The chairman of the military junta, Major General Justin Metsing Lekhanya, was ousted in 1991 and then replaced by Major General Elias Phisoana Ramaema, who handed over power to a democratically elected government of the BCP in 1993. Moshoeshoe II returned from exile in 1992 as an ordinary citizen. After the return to democratic government, King Letsie III tried unsuccessfully to persuade the BCP government to reinstate his father (Moshoeshoe II) as head of state. In August 1994, Letsie III staged a coup which was backed by the military and deposed the BCP government. The new government did not receive full international recognition. Member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) engaged in negotiations aimed at the reinstatement of the BCP government. One of the conditions put forward by the King for the return of the BCP government was that his father should be re-installed as head of state. After protracted negotiations, the BCP government was reinstated and the King abdicated in favor of his father in 1995, but Moshoeshoe II died in a car accident in 1996 and was again succeeded by his son, Letsie III. The ruling BCP split over leadership disputes in 1997.

Related Topics:
Military junta - Justin Metsing Lekhanya - 1991 - Elias Phisoana Ramaema - 1993 - 1992 - Head of state - August - 1994 - Southern African Development Community - 1995 - 1996 - 1997

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Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle formed a new party, the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), and was followed by a majority of Members of Parliament, which enabled him to form a new government. The LCD won the general elections in 1998 under the leadership of Pakalitha Mosisili, who had succeeded Mokhehle as party leader. Despite the elections being pronounced free and fair by local and international observers and a subsequent special commission appointed by SADC, the opposition political parties rejected the results.

Related Topics:
Ntsu Mokhehle - Lesotho Congress for Democracy - Pakalitha Mosisili - Political parties

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Opposition protests in the country intensified, culminating in a peaceful demonstration outside the royal palace in August 1998. Exact details of what followed are much disputed, but in September an SADC task force operating on orders of unclear provenance entered the capital city. While the Botswanan troops were welcomed, tensions with white Afrikaaner South African troops were high, and sporadic rioting intensified when the Afrikaaners ran up a South African flag at the royal palace. Numerous units of Lesotho's armed forces mutinied. By the time the SADC forces withdrew in May of 1999, much of Maseru lay in ruins, and the southern provincial capitol towns of Mafeteng and Mohales Hoek had seen the loss of over a third of their commercial real estate.

Related Topics:
August - 1998

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An Interim Political Authority (IPA), charged with reviewing the electoral structure in the country, was created in December 1998. The IPA devised a proportional electoral system to ensure that there be opposition in the National Assembly. The new system retained the existing 80 elected Assembly seats, but added 40 seats to be filled on a proportional basis. Elections were held under this new system in May 2002, and the LCD won again, gaining 54% of the vote. For the first time, however, opposition political parties won significant numbers of seats, and despite some irregularities and threats of violence from Major General Lekhanya, Lesotho experienced its first peaceful election. Nine opposition parties now hold all 40 of the proportional seats, with the BNP having the largest share (21). The LCD has 79 of the 80 constituency-based seats. Although its elected members participate in the National Assembly, the BNP has launched several legal challenges to the elections, including a recount; none has been successful.

Related Topics:
December - 1998 - May - 2002

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