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Country Profile

Official Name: Kingdom of Lesotho

Head of State: Letsie III; succession is governed by custom

Key Ministers: Prime Minister, Defence and Public Services Minister Pakalitha Mosisli Deputy Prime Minister - Lesao Lehohla Minister of Foreign Affairs - Thomas Thabane

National Government: Prime Minister and 16 member cabinet, last reshuffled in May 2002

National Legislature: Bicameral National Assembly. The Upper House (Senate) consists of 33 non-elected members, 11 of whom are nominated by the King on the advice of the Prime Minister plus the 22 principal chiefs of Lesotho

National Elections: Last elections took place on 25 May 2002

Main Political Parties: Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), the ruling parry with 77 seats; Basotho National Party (BNP) 21 seats. Eight other small parties are represented in the National Assembly

Domestic Politics/ Despite fears of unrest, the elections of 25 May passed Elections: without serious incident and a high turnout of 68 per cent. The successful holding of elections not only brought long-sought political stability to the country but also raised the standing of Lesotho in Southern Africa, particularly in contrast to the recent controversial elections in Madagascar, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Internal Situation In April 2002, the Government declared a state of famine, providing US$1.9m to fund relief programmes. Prices in South Africa, the source of 90 per cent of the country's imports will remain the major influence on Lesotho's rate of inflation. Secretary-General's meeting with Country Team in Lesotho

Scholastica Kimaryo UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Kimberly Gamble-Payne UNICEF Resident Representative Admir Bay FAO Representative Mr. Techeste Zergaber WFP Representative Mr. Ernest Fausther UNDP Deputy Resident Representative PROFILE

HIS MAJESTY KING LETSIE THE THIRD OF LESOTHO

• His Majesty King Letsie III is the first son of the late King Moshoeshoe II and Queen Mamohato Bereng Seeiso.

• He was born on 17 July 1963 and named after Letsie I, the eldest son of , the founder of the Basotho Nation.

• He went to Ampleforth College in Britain in 1977, where he completed his secondary and high school education in 1980.

• From 1980 to 1984, he pursued his university career at the National University of Lesotho where he graduated with Bachelor of Arts Degree in Law.

• Between 1984 and 1986, he completed a Diploma in English Legal Studies at the University of Bristol in Britain. King Letsie III later spent a year at the University of Cambridge where he studied Development Studies completing in 1989. At the same time, he enrolled with Wye College of the University of London where he studied Agricultural Economics.

• He was installed as Principal Chief of Matsieng on 16 December 1989. He was sworn into the Office of the King on 12 November 1990. Under the new Office of the King Order No. 14 of 1990 promulgated on 6 November 1990, he abdicated on 25 January 1995, the day on which His Majesty King Moshoeshoe II was reinstated. Following the tragic death of his Father King Moshoeshoe II, he was re-installed as King on 7 February 1996.

• King Letsie III is the patron of Prince Mohato Award (Khau ea. Khosana Mohato), which is a service programme of practical and adventurous activities designed for use by individuals, clubs, groups and organization having concern for young people. Its aims are to encourage and stimulate the enthusiasm, responsibility, enterprise and maturity of young people by presenting their carefully constructed programme which offers everyone an equal chance to test their powers in a wide range of personal activities, recognized in series of awards.

• He is married to Queen Karabo Mohato Seeiso. PROFILE

H.E. MR. BETHUEL

PRIME MINISTER OF THE KINGDOM OF LESOTHO

• Mr. Mosisili was elected Prime Minister on 23 May 1998. He also holds the Portfolios of Defense and Public Service. The ruling party, the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), controls 77 out of the 120-seat lower house of parliament, the National Assembly.

• He joined the Basotholand Congress Party (BCP) in 1967 and was elected Deputy Leader of the Party in 1996. From 1995 to 1998, he served as Deputy Prime Minister holding the portfolios of Home Affairs and Local Government concurrently and was Minister of Education from 1993 to 1995. In 1997, he joined former Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhele to pull out from the ruling BCP and form a new party, the LCD.

• He obtained his college education in Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and South Africa. He has an M.A. in Linguistics and in Education from Canadian universities. He was lecturer in African languages at the University of Lesotho and at Universities in South Africa from 1973 to 1993.

• He was born on 14 March 1945 at Qacha's Nek, Lesotho. PROFILE

H.E. MR. THOMAS MOTSOAHAE THABANE

FOREIGN MINISTER OF LESOTHO

• Prior to his appointment as Foreign Minister in June 1998, Mr. Thabane served for almost two decades as Principal Secretary in the Ministries of Justice, Interior, Health, Foreign Affairs and Information and Broadcasting. He also served as Secretary to the Military Council and Head of the Civil Service and as Special Political Advisor to the Prime Minister from 1995-1998.

• He holds a B.A. in Political Science and English (1964).

• He was born on 2 8 May 1939.