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Lesotho
Basutoland was renamed the
Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from
the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled the country during its
first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to
Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995 and subsequently succeeded
by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was
restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent
protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election
prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Botswana
military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development
Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative
political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in
2002, but the National Assembly elections of February 2007 were hotly
contested and aggrieved parties disputed how the electoral law was
applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly. In May 2012,
competitive elections involving 18 parites saw Prime Minister Motsoahae
Thomas THABANE form a coalition government – the first in the country’s
history – that ousted the 14-year incumbent, Pakalitha MOSISILI, who
peacefully transferred power the following month.
Location – Southern Africa,
an enclave of South Africa
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