political party or coalition of political parties that
will command the support of a majority of the members
of the National Assembly; provided that if occasion
arises for making an appointment to the office of Prime
Minister while Parliament stands dissolved, a person
who was a member of the National Assembly immediately
before the dissolution may be appointed to the office
of Prime Minister.” As stated in Section 159, the
members of the National Assembly who were elected under
the National Assembly Election Order 1992 shall become
members of the National Assembly established by this
Constitution.
In 1995 King Moshoeshoe II was reinstated as King, but
he died on January 15, 1996. There was no suspicion of
foul play and the late King’s wife, Queen Mamohato,
assumed the largely ceremonial powers of Regent. The
Traditional College of Chiefs were called upon to
choose the new King. They decided on his older son,
Crown Prince David Mohato, who as King Letsie III was
again sworn in to succeed his father. A formal
coronation of King Letsie III was performed on October
31, 1997.
On April 22, 1997, the National Assembly passed
legislation which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
The High Court ruled that the National Executive
Committee of the Basotho Congress Party had no right to
remove the Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle from his
leadership position. The attempt to remove the Prime
Minister on the grounds of incapacity do to advanced
age (79) produced a political crisis which continued
for several months. It ended with his resignation on
January 31, 1998. However, he continued in his capacity
as Prime Minister. He advised King Letsie III to call a
general election. The King dissolved the National
Assembly on February 27, 1998.