ted by popular
vote for five-year terms); note - number of seats in the Assembly
rose from 65 to 80 in the May 1998 election; on 28 February 2001,
the Senate approved expansion of the Assembly by a further 50 seats
in the next election, which may be held as early as January 2002

elections: last held 23 May 1998 (next to be held NA March 2001)

election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 60.7%, BNP 24.5%,
other 14.8%; seats by party - LCD 79, BNP 1

note: results contested; opposition parties claimed the election
was fraudulent and staged a coup; Southern African Development
Community (SADC) forces intervened in September 1998 and restored
order; the Interim Political Authority (IPA) was set up in December
1998 to create a new electoral system and conduct new elections.

Judicial branch: High Court (chief justice appointed by the
monarch); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or
traditional court

Political parties and leaders: Basotho Congress Party or BCP
[Tseliso MAKHAKHE]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justine
Metsing LEKHANYA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Phebe
MOTEBANO, chairwoman; Dr. Pakalitha MOSISILI, leader] - the
governing party; United Democratic Party or UDP [Charles MOFELI];
Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP and Setlamo Alliance [Vincent
MALEBO]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Chief Peete Nkoebe
PEETE]; Sefate Democratic Party or SDP [Bofihla NKUEBE]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU,
NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Lebohang Kenneth MOLEKO

chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536

FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Katherine H. PETERSON

embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)

mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho

telephone: [266] 312666

FAX: [266] 310116

Flag description: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side
corner; the upper half is white, bearing the brown silhouette of a
large shield with crossed spear and club; the lower half is a
di