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Elections in Lesotho
 
Political Profile
Political System: Democracy
King: Letsie III [since 07 February 1996; Formerly occupied the throne from 12 November 1990 to 25 February 1995, while his father was in exile]
Prime Minister: Pakalitha Mosisili (LCD) [since 29 May 1998] Following elections, the leader of the majority party in the National Assembly automatically becomes Prime Minister.
Parliament [bicameral]
--Senate (33 Seats) 22 members are hereditary Principal chiefs and 11 members are appointed by the King.
--National Assembly (120 Seats) Members are elected by direct popular vote using the mixed member proportional system - 80 in single-member constituencies using the first-past-the-post system and 40 from one national constituency using party-list proportional representation; members serve 5-year terms.
Political Situation since Independence
1966-1970 Democracy
1970-1986 Restricted Democratic Practice
1986-1993 Military Regime
1993-1998 Democracy
1998-2002 Emerging Democracy
2002-        Democracy
2007 Freedom House Rating: Political Rights - 2, Civil Liberties - 3, Status: Free
Next Scheduled National Assembly Election: 2012
Political Parties: ABC - All Basotho Convention, BAC - Basutoland African Congress, BBDP - Basotho Batho Democratic Party, BCP - Basutoland Congress Party/Basotho Congress Party (left-wing, social-democratic), BDNP - Basotho Democratic National Party, BNP - Basutoland National Party/Basotho National Party (right-wing, conservative), CDP - Christian Democratic Party, HBP - Hareeng Basotho Party, KBP - Kopanang Basotho Party, LCD - Lesotho Congress for Democracy, LEP - Lesotho Education Party, LLP - Lesotho Labour Party, LPC - Lesotho People's Congress, LPL - Liberal Party of Lesotho, LWP - Lesotho Workers Party, MFP - Marematlou Freedom Party, MTP - Marema Tlou Party, NIP - National Independent Party, NLFP - New Lesotho Freedom Party, NPP - National Progressive Party, PFD - Popular Front For Democracy, SDP - Social Democratic Party, SDU - Sefate Democratic Union, UDP - United Democratic Party, UP - United Party.
Coalitions: Alliance of Congress Parties (ACP) [Contested the 2007 National Assembly Election] Member parties include the Basotho Congress Party (BCP), Basutoland African Congress (BAC), and Lesotho People’s Congress (LPC).
 
Election Results
 
 
Legislative: 1960 (Indirect), 1965, 1970, 1985, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2007
Local Government: 1960, 2005
 
 
1960 Basutoland National Council Election*

Party

Number of Seats (40)**

Basutoland Congress Party (BCP)

30

Marema Tlou Party (MTP)

05

Basutoland National Party (BNP)

01

Independents

04

*Members of the Basutoland National Council were indirectly elected by the members of the country's nine directly-elected district councils.
**An additional 40 members were appointed - 14 by the paramount chief Constantine Bereng Seeiso [Moshoeshoe II], 22 other chiefs, and four senior officials. 
 
29 April 1965 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

259,825

Party

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Seats (60)

Basutoland National Party (BNP)

108,162

41.63%

35

Basutoland Congress Party (BCP)

103,050

39.66%

21

Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP)

42,837

16.49%

04

Marema Tlou Party (MTP)

5,697

2.19%

-

Independents

79

0.03%

-

 
27 January 1970 National Assembly Election*

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party

% of Vote

Number of Seats (60)

Basotho Congress Party (BCP)

49.8%

36

Basotho National Party (BNP)

42.2%

23

Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP)

7.3%

01

Others

0.7%

-

*The 1970 election was annulled soon after the results were announced by Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan, who claimed that the election had been marred by violence and disturbances by the South African security forces.
 
September 1985 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Election not held. The poll was boycotted by all opposition parties because of procedural irregularities. The ruling Basotho National Party (BNP) won all 60 parliamentary seats by default.
 
27 March 1993 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

736,930

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

532,678

Party

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Seats (65)

Basotho Congress Party (BCP)

398,355

74.78%

65

Basotho National Party (BNP)

120,686

22.66%

-

Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP)

7,650

1.44%

-

Popular Front for Democracy (PFD)

947

0.18%

-

Hareeng Basotho Party (HBP)

646

0.12%

-

United Democratic Party (UDP)

582

0.11%

-

Kopanang Basotho Party (KBP)

417

0.08%

-

Lesotho Labour Party (LLP)

244

0.05%

-

National Independent Party (NIP)

241

0.05%

-

Lesotho Education Party (LEP)

63

0.01%

-

United Party (UP)

51

0.01%

-

Liberal Party of Lesotho (LPL)

43

0.01%

-

Independents

2,753

0.52%

-

 
24 May 1998 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party

% of Votes

Number of Seats (80)

Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD)

60.7%

78

Basotho National Party (BNP)

24.5%

01

Basotho Congress Party (BCP)

10.5%

-

Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP)

1.3%

-

Others

2.9%

-

Vacant*

-

01

*The vacant seat was later won by the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) party.
 
25 May 2002 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

831,515

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

554,386

Party

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Seats (120)

Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD)

304,316

54.89%

77

Basotho National Party (BNP)

124,234

22.41%

21

Lesotho People's Congress (LPC)

32,046

5.78%

05

National Independent Party (NIP)

30,346

5.47%

05

Basutoland African Congress (BAC)

16,095

2.90%

03

Basotho Congress Party (BCP)

14,584

2.63%

03

Lesotho Workers Party (LWP)

7,788

1.40%

01

Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP)

6,890

1.24%

01

Popular Front For Democracy (PFD)

6,330

1.14%

01

National Progressive Party (NPP)

3,985

0.72%

01

Christian Democratic Party (CDP)

1,919

0.35%

-

New Lesotho Freedom Party (NLFP)

1,671

0.30%

-

Sefate Democratic Union (SDU)

1,584

0.29%

-

Kopanang Basotho Party (KBP)

1,155

0.21%

-

United Party (UP)

901

0.16%

-

Social Democratic Party (SDP)

542

0.10%

-

Vacant

-

-

02

 
17 February 2007 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

916,230

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party/[Coalition]

Number of Seats (120)

Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD)

61

National Independent Party (NIP)

21

All Basotho Convention (ABC)

17

Lesotho Workers Party (LWP)

10

Alliance of Congress Parties [ACP]

04

Basotho National Party (BNP)

03

Basotho Batho Democratic Party (BBDP)

01

Basotho Democratic National Party (BDNP)

01

Popular Front for Democracy (PFD)

01

Vacant

01