Politics
Category : Lesotho

1) Government
 

BASOTHO GOVERNMENT STATS

Administrative divisions
 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka

Ambassadors from Finland > Current Finnish Ambassadors > Ambassador

Heikki Tuunanen

Capital city

Maseru

Capital city > Geographic coordinates

29 19 S, 27 29 E

Capital city > Name

Maseru

Capital city > Time difference
 UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Commonwealth Heads of Government > Current Heads > Head of Government

Pakalitha Mosisili

Commonwealth Heads of Government > Current Heads > Title

Prime Minister

Constitution

2 April 1993

Constitutional monarchy > current constitutional monarchies > Last constitution established

1993

Constitutional monarchy > current constitutional monarchies > Monarch selected by
 Hereditary succession directed approval of College of Chiefs

Constitutional monarchy > current constitutional monarchies > Type of monarchy

Kingdom

Copyright > Reference

Copyright Act 1956 (p)

Corruption

3.4

[73rd of 160]

countries' copyright length > Usual term of copyright protection

50 pma

CPIA equity of public resource use rating

3

[51st of 75]

CPIA quality of public administration rating

3

[41st of 75]

Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission

Ambassador Robert NOLAN

Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy
 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)

Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX

[266] 22 310116

Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address
 P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho

Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone

[266] 22 312666

Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery
 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission
 Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Mabasia MOHOBANE

Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX

[1] (202) 234-6815

Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone
 [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536

Elections > Head of state

Monarchy

embassies and high commissions in Ottawa > Address
 130 Albert St., Suite 1820

embassies and high commissions in Ottawa > Neighbourhood
Downtown

Executive branch > Cabinet

Cabinet

Executive branch > Chief of state
 King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile

Executive branch > Elections
 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 that 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 depose the monarch, determine who is next in the line of succession, or who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age

Executive branch > Head of government
 Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May 1998)

Flag description
 three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3;4;3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence

Flag modification

19

[83rd of 197]

Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment

November 6, 1998

Foreign relations of Western Sahara > States recognizing the SADR > Date of recognition
 October 9, 1979))

General government final consumption expenditure > annual % growth

9.04 %

[16th of 147]

General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$

149,385,600 constant 2000 US$

[106th of 145]

General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$ (per capita)

83.234 constant 2000 US$ per c

[84th of 146]

General government final consumption expenditure > constant LCU

658802000

General government final consumption expenditure > current LCU

1400070000

General government final consumption expenditure > current US$

220,171,400 $

[130th of 169]

General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per $ GDP)

0.152 $ per $1 of GDP

[68th of 184]

General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per capita)

122.674 $ per capita

[98th of 184]

Government type
 parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Independence

4 October 1966 (from UK)

Independence Day > Date

October 4

International organization participation
 ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch
 High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch acting on the advice of the Prime Minister); Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional court

Legal origin
 English

Legal system
 based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

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 (120 seats, 80 by popular vote and 40 by proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)

Legislative branch > Election results
 percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LCD 61, NIP 21, ABC 17, LWP 10, ACP 4, BNP 3, other 4

Legislative branch > Elections
 last held 17 February 2007 (next to be held in 2012)

Management time dealing with officials > % of management time

19.79 %

[1st of 38]

National holiday
 Independence Day, 4 October

Parliamentary seats > Female

4%

[114th of 143]

Policy uncertainty > % of managers surveyed ranking this as a major business constraint

31.08 %

[10th of 38]

political parties > Dominant party

•

Political parties and leaders
 Alliance of Congress Parties or ACP; All Basotho Convention or ABC [Thomas THABANE]; Basotholand African Congress or BAC [Khauhelo RALITAPOLE]; Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Ntsukunyane MPHANYA]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justin Metsing LEKHANYA]; Kopanang Basotho Party or KPB [Pheelo MOSALA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD (the governing party) [Pakalitha MOSISILI]; Lesotho Education Party or LEP [Thabo PITSO]; Lesotho Workers Party or LWP [Macaefa BILLY]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO]; National Independent Party or NIP [Anthony MANYELI]; New Lesotho Freedom Party or NLFP [Manapo MAJARA]; Popular Front for Democracy or PFD [Lekhetho RAKUOANE]; Sefate Democratic Union or SDU [Bofihla NKUEBE]; Social Democratic Party of SDP [Masitise SELESO]

Political pressure groups and leaders
 Media Institute of Southern Africa, Lesotho chapter [Thabang MATJAMA] (pushes for media freedom)

Prime minister

Pakalitha Mosisili

Procedures to build a warehouse > number

14

[119th of 168]

Procedures to build a warehouse > number (per capita)

7.8 per 1 million people

[40th of 170]

Procedures to enforce a contract > number

58

[7th of 170]

Procedures to enforce a contract > number (per capita)

32.316 per 1 million people

[28th of 171]

Procedures to register property > number

6

[88th of 167]

Procedures to register property > number (per capita)

3,343.049 per 1 billion people

[32nd of 167]

Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament > %

11.7 %

[103rd of 174]

Start-up procedures to register a business > number

8

[107th of 171]

Start-up procedures to register a business > number (per capita)

5.015 per 1 million people

[37th of 171]

Status
democracy

Suffrage
 18 years of age; universal

Time required to build a warehouse > days

265 days

[40th of 168]

Time required to enforce a contract > days

695 days

[35th of 171]

Time required to register property > days

101 days

[43rd of 167]

Time required to start a business > days

73 days

[26th of 171]

Time to prepare and pay taxes > hours

352 hours

[47th of 169]

Time to resolve insolvency > years

2.6 years

[90th of 151]

Trademarks, nonresidents

903

[78th of 99]

Trademarks, nonresidents (per capita)

526.987 per 1 million people

[43rd of 146]

Trademarks, residents

15

[93rd of 98]

Trademarks, residents (per capita)

8.754 per 1 million people

[106th of 142]

Transnational Issues > Disputes > International

none

UN membership date

17 Oct. 1966

United Nations mission
 http;//www.un.int/lesotho/

Washington, D.C. embassies > Neighborhood

Embassy Row


SOURCES All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; Wikipedia; List of Ambassadors from Finland ; CIA World Factbook, 14 June, 2007 ; Wikipedia; Commonwealth Heads of Government ; Wikipedia; Constitutional monarchy ; Wikipedia; List of countries' copyright length ; Transparency International; World Development Indicators database; Wikipedia; Elections by country ; Wikipedia; List of embassies and high commissions in Ottawa ; Flagspot; Wikipedia; Foreign relations of Croatia ; Wikipedia; Foreign relations of Western Sahara ; Wikipedia; Independence Day ; CIA World Factbook, 28 July 2005; United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook; Wikipedia; List of political parties ; Wikipedia; Prime minister ; electionworld.org; Wisconsin High School Model United Nations; Wikipedia; List of Washington, D.C. embassies

ALTERNATIVE NAMES Lesotho, Kingdom of Lesotho


Democracy
 

BASOTHO DEMOCRACY STATS

CPIA gender equality rating

4

[22nd of 75]

CPIA policies for social inclusion/equity cluster average

3.3

[41st of 75]

CPIA property rights and rule-based governance rating

3.5

[22nd of 75]

CPIA public sector management and institutions cluster average

3.4

[24th of 75]

CPIA transparency, accountability, and corruption in the public sector rating

3.5

[10th of 75]

Electoral system

first-past-the-post

Electoral system type

plurality

Female candidacy

1,965

[19th of 161]

Female ministers

35.7%

[11th of 125]

Female parliamentarians

10.7%

[81st of 157]

Female suffrage

1965

First female parliamentarian

1965 (appointed)

Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment

0.998169862683668

[30th of 183]

Homosexuality laws of the world > Homosexuality laws > Laws against homosexuality

Male only

Parliamentary elections > Registered voter turnout

66.7%

[87th of 152]

Parliamentary elections > Total vote

554,386

[115th of 154]

Parliamentary elections > Voter registration

831,315

[114th of 152]

Parliamentary elections > Voting age population

1,001,030

[120th of 163]

Parliamentary elections > Voting age population (per capita)

492.877 per 1,000 people

[103rd of 162]


SOURCES World Development Indicators database; No comment is being made on the state of democracy. Categorizations are based on the electoral law, or the last competitive election held; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995; A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on women in government at the ministerial level. March. Geneva; calculated on the basis of data on parliamentary seats from IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2002. Parline Database. March 2002; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995; A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva.; Source; Millennium Development Goals Database | United Nations Statistics Division; Wikipedia; Homosexuality laws of the world ; Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003

ALTERNATIVE NAMES Lesotho, Kingdom of Lesotho