The Senate of Lesotho () is the
upper chamber
An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house.''Bicameralism'' (1997) by George Tsebelis The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restri ...
of the
Parliament of Lesotho, which, along with the
National Assembly of Lesotho
The National Assembly () is the lower chamber of Lesotho's bicameral Parliament.
Composition
The current National Assembly has a total of 120 members. 80 members are elected in single member constituencies using the simple majority (or First-pa ...
(the
lower chamber), comprises the
legislature
A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government.
Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...
of
Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked as an enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest mountains in Southern Africa. It has an area of over and has a population ...
.
Bicameralism in Lesotho is specifically modeled after the
Westminster system of the United Kingdom, having an upper house weaker than the lower. As such, the Senate holds less power than the National Assembly; it cannot initiate legislation, it does not appoint the Prime Minister, and it does not participate in
motions of confidence. The Senate's consent is required to amend certain clauses of the constitution, and for a bill to become law, it must be passed by both chambers of Parliament.
The current Senate has a total of 33 members. 22 are hereditary
tribal chief
A tribal chief or chieftain is the leader of a tribe, tribal society or chiefdom.
Tribe
The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of western Afroeurasia.
Tribal societies are sometimes categori ...
s who perform executive functions for their respective communities and 11 are nominated by the
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...
on the
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
's advice and generally align with the King in their legislative behavior. Members serve five-year terms. Senators may not serve simultaneously as members of the National Assembly.
Mamonaheng Mokitimi
Mamonaheng Mokitimi (born in 1970) is a Lesotho politician currently serving as the President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Lesotho since July 2017.
Mokitimi was born in 1970 at Morija in Maseru district. She worked in the Parliament of Lesotho ...
is the current president of the Senate. She succeeded
Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso.
See also
*
National Assembly of Lesotho
The National Assembly () is the lower chamber of Lesotho's bicameral Parliament.
Composition
The current National Assembly has a total of 120 members. 80 members are elected in single member constituencies using the simple majority (or First-pa ...
- the
lower chamber of Parliament
*
History of Lesotho
The history of people living in the area now known as Lesotho () goes back as many as 400 years. The present Lesotho (then called Basotholand) emerged as a single polity under King Moshoeshoe I in 1822. Under Moshoeshoe I, Basotho joined other ...
*
Legislative branch
A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government.
Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...
*
List of national legislatures
This is a list of legislatures by country. A "legislature" is the generic name for the national parliaments and congresses that act as a plenary general assembly of representatives and that have the power to legislate. All entities included in ...
*
List of presidents of the Senate of Lesotho
References
External links
Senate of Lesotho - Official site
Government of Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked as an enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest mountains in Southern Africa. It has an area of over and has a population ...
1965 establishments in Basutoland
{{National upper houses