Lesotho’s Ideal Form of Government: Monarchic – Aristocratic Democracy

Abstract

Prior to a formal document that declared the Basotho to be British subjects, Lesotho’s form of government was a conglomeration of monarchy, aristocracy and democracy. The end of British rule marked a significant turn, the Mountain Kingdom stripping off the monarchy his powers and adopting the so-called democratic form of government. I maintain the view that former traditional Lesotho’s monarchic-aristocraticdemocracy, if duly revised and accordingly adapted to suit ideal form of democracy, is still ideal, if Lesotho wishes to restate political stability today. I argue that as long as the king remains a constitutional monarch, Lesotho’s so-called democratic form of government will always bear unwanted disastrous consequences of internal conflicts. A desirable ideal Lesotho’s form of government ought to be such that the monarch be vested with the following powers: the power of control over the police and the armed forces and the power to control the judiciary.