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Lesotho,formally the Kingdom of Lesotho,formerly known as Basutoland,is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. As an enclave of South Africa,with which it shares a 1,106 km (687 mi) border,it is the largest sovereign enclave in the world,and the only one outside of the Italian Peninsula. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest peak in Southern Africa. It has an area of over 30,000 km2 (11,600 sq mi) and has a population of about two million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. The country is also known by the nickname The Mountain Kingdom.
The history of people living in the area now known as Lesotho goes back as many as 400 years. Present Lesotho emerged as a single polity under King Moshoeshoe I in 1822. Under Moshoeshoe I,Basotho joined other clans in their struggle against the Lifaqane associated with famine and the reign of Shaka Zulu from 1818 to 1828.
Politics of Lesotho takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy,whereby the Prime Minister of Lesotho is the head of government,and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of Parliament,the Senate and the National Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy which,by legislation and convention,operates as a unitary parliamentary democracy. A hereditary monarch,currently King Charles III,serves as head of state while the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,currently Sir Keir Starmer since 2024,serves as the elected head of government.
Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili is a former Mosotho politician who was the fourth prime minister of Lesotho from May 1998 to June 2012 and again from March 2015 to June 2017. He led the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) to a near-total victory in the 1998 election,and under his leadership the party also won majorities in the 2002 and 2007 elections. While serving as Prime Minister,Mosisili was also Minister of Defence.
Joseph Leabua Jonathan was the first prime minister of Lesotho. He succeeded Chief Sekhonyana Nehemia Maseribane following a by-election and held that post from 1965 to 1986.
Thomas Motsoahae Thabane is a Mosotho politician who was the fifth Prime Minister of Lesotho from 2012 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2020. He founded the All Basotho Convention (ABC) in 2006 and led the party until 2022.
The National Assembly is the lower chamber of Lesotho's bicameral Parliament.
The All Basotho Convention is a political party in Lesotho. The party was formed in October 2006 and founded by Tom Thabane,a former minister in the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) led by the government of Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili. Nkaku Kabi has led the party since February 2022.
Lesotho–South Africa relations refers to the current and historical bilateral relations of South Africa and Lesotho. Lesotho,which is surrounded by South Africa,depends on South Africa for most of its economic affairs,and its foreign policy is often aligned with that of Pretoria. Both are member states of the Commonwealth of Nations,African Union,Southern African Customs Union and Southern African Development Community. Lesotho,along with Eswatini,have been described as satellite states of South Africa.
General elections were held in Lesotho on 26 May 2012. The incumbent Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili's newly formed Democratic Congress won a majority of single-member seats. He also won his seat by the second-largest margin of victory. However,they only had a plurality in the overall tally and coalition talks are taking place.
On 30 August 2014,Lesotho's Prime Minister Tom Thabane alleged that a coup d'état had been launched against him. This followed a previous allegation which caused him to suspend parliament over possible extra-constitutional manoeuvres. It also followed pressure from South Africa to maintain the democratic process. The next day,Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing assumed responsibility for running the government. An early election was held in February 2015 as a result of South African-led Southern African Development Community (SADC) mediation,giving power to the opposition.
General elections were held in Lesotho on 28 February 2015 for all 120 seats of the National Assembly,the lower house of the Parliament of Lesotho,more than two years ahead of schedule due to the 2014 political crisis. Following mediation facilitated by the Southern African Development Community (SADC),King Letsie III on the advice of the incumbent Prime Minister Tom Thabane,dissolved the Eighth Parliament and called a snap election.
Mothetjoa Metsing is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho. He is a member and current leader of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD). He served in the government of Prime Minister Tom Thabane between 2012 and 2015. In 2014,he was involved in controversy over an alleged coup attempt against the prime minister that was eventually resolved over calls for an early election.
The 1991 Lesotho coup d'état was a military coup that took place in Lesotho on 30 April 1991,led by Colonel Elias Phisoana Ramaema. It led to the resignation of Prime Minister General Justin Lekhanya,who held the office since the 1986 coup d'état.
Early general elections were held in Lesotho on 3 June 2017 to elect all 120 seats of the National Assembly,the lower house of the Parliament. The elections were called more than three years ahead of schedule due to a successful vote of no confidence against the incumbent Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.
The Alliance of Democrats is a political party in Lesotho.
The Movement for Economic Change is a political party in Lesotho.
Christopher Peter Mutekwatekwa Chingosho is a Zimbabwean politician who is currently a member of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe for Headlands since 2015. He also served as deputy minister of local government and housing from 2017 to 2018. Previously,he worked in several government ministries and as a district and provincial administrator. He is a member of ZANU–PF,having joined the party in Mozambique during the Rhodesian Bush War in 1975.
General elections were held in Lesotho on 7 October 2022 to elect all 120 members of the National Assembly,the lower house of Parliament.
References
- ↑ Ngatane, Nthakoana (5 June 2017). "Lesotho poll results trickle in". SABC News. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
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