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LESOTHO
Senate

Modules:
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARLIAMENTARY CHAMBER

Parliament name Parliament
More photos  >>>
Structure of parliament Bicameral
Chamber name Senate
Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) National Assembly
Affiliation to the IPU Yes
Affiliation date(s) 2008 -
LEADERSHIP
President Mamonaheng Mokitimi (F) 
Notes Elected on 11 July 2017.
Secretary General Khotso Manamolela (a.i.) (M) 
COMPOSITION
Members (statutory / current number) 33 / 32
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN


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Women (current number) 8 (25.00%)
Mode of designation appointed 11
other 22
Notes Appointed members: appointed by the King on the advice of the Council of State.
Other: 22 Principal Chiefs.
Term 5 years
Last renewal dates 11 July 2017
(View details)
CONTACT INFORMATION
Address The Senate
P.O. Box 553 - MASERU 100
(Export mailing lists)
Phone (266) 22 31 53 38
Fax (266) 22 31 00 23
E-mail info@senate.ls
Website
http://www.parliament.ls/

ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Parliament name Parliament
Structure of parliament Bicameral
Chamber name Senate
Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) National Assembly
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Electoral law 1 January 1900
Mode of designation appointed 11
other 22
Constituencies NA (not applicable)
Voting system : NA (not applicable)
Voter requirements NA (not applicable)
CANDIDATES
Eligibility Qualified electors
- age: 21 years
- Lesotho citizenship
- ablility to speak and, unless incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause, to read and write the Sesotho or English language well enough to take an active part in the proceedings of the Senate
- ineligibility: undischarged bankrupts, government contractors (unless excepted), election-connected offices, electoral offences
Incompatibilities membership of the defence or police force, national security or prison service
Candidacy requirements NA (not applicable)

LAST ELECTIONS

Parliament name Parliament
Structure of parliament Bicameral
Chamber name Senate
Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) National Assembly
BACKGROUND
Dates of election / renewal (from/to) 11 July 2017
Timing and scope of renewal N/A
N/A
STATISTICS
Voter turnout
Distribution of votes
Distribution of seats
Distribution of seats according to sex
Men

Women

Percent of women
24

8

25.00%
Distribution of seats according to age
Distribution of seats according to profession
Comments
As at 21 November 2017, one Principal Chief was yet to be sworn in.

Source: Senate (26.07.2017, 18.08.2017, 21.11.2017)

PRESIDENCY OF THE PARLIAMENTARY CHAMBER

Parliament name Parliament
Structure of parliament Bicameral
Chamber name Senate
Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) National Assembly
APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE
Title President of the Senate
Term - duration: 5 years (term of House); elected on 16 June 1998
- reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, death, dissolution of the Senate
Appointment - elected by all Senators
- at the first sitting of a new Parliament
- after Members are sworn in
Eligibility - any Senator or any other person can be candidate
Voting system - formal vote by secret ballot
- one round, by simple majority
Procedures / results - the Clerk presides over the Senate during the voting
- the Clerk supervises the voting
- the Clerk announces the results without any delay
- the results can be challenged
STATUS
Status - ranks third in the hierarchy of State
- the President of the Senate has precedence over the Speaker of the National Assembly
- the President of the Senate and the Speaker preside alternatively in the event of joint sittings of both Chambers
- represents the Assembly with the public authorities
- is a member of the Council of State
- represents the Assembly in international bodies connected with Parliaments (Commonwealth Parliamentary Association...)
- in the absence of the President, the Vice-President can assume his/her role and functions
Board
Material facilities - allowance
- official residence
- official car
- body guards
FUNCTIONS
Organization of parliamentary business - convenes sessions, in consultation with the Government Secretary
- examines the admissibility of bills and amendments
- may refer texts to a committee for study
- nominates the Business Committee
The Business Committee:
- establishes and modifies the agenda
- organizes the debates and sets speaking time
Chairing of public sittings - can open, adjourn and close sittings
- ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders
- makes announcements concerning the Senate
- takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures
- establishes the list of speakers, gives and withdraws permission to speak
- establishes the order in which amendments are taken up and selects which amendments are to be debated
- checks the quorum
- authenticates the adopted texts and the records of debates
- interprets the rules or other regulations governing the life of the Senate usually on precedents
Special powers - is responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments
- is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in the Chamber assisted by the Sergeant-at-Arms
Speaking and voting rights, other functions - provides guidelines for the interpretation or completion of the text under discussion
- ensures that proper procedures is followed at all stages of bills, until they become law

PARLIAMENTARY MANDATE

Parliament name Parliament
Structure of parliament Bicameral
Chamber name Senate
Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) National Assembly
NATURE
Nature of the mandate · Free representation
Start of the mandate · When the senators take the oath (Art. 71 (1) of the Constitution of 1993, SO 2 (1) of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
· Procedure (Art. 71 and 155 (11) of the Constitution, SO 2 and 12 of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
Validation of mandates · Validation by the High Court only in case of challenge (Art. 69 (1) (a) of the Constitution)
· Procedure (Art. 69 (1) (a), (2), (5), and (6), and Art. 77 of the Constitution)
End of the mandate · On the day when the legal term of the House ends - or on the day of early dissolution (Art. 60 (1) (c) and 83 (2) of the Constitution) (for early dissolution, see Art. 83 (1) and (4) of the Constitution). The mandate of the Principal Chiefs (ex-officio Members) continues even when Parliament is dissolved.
Can MPs resign? Yes · Yes, of their own free will (Art. 152 (1) of the Constitution)
· Procedure (Art. 152 of the Constitution)
· Authority competent to accept the resignation: the resignation does not need to be accepted
Can MPs lose their mandate ? Yes (a) Loss of mandate by judicial decision: decision of the High Court (Art. 69 (1) (c) of the Constitution): loss of eligibility (Art. 60 (1) (a), (b), and (f) in connection with Art. 58 (1) and 59 (1) and (4) of the Constitution). Procedure (Art. 60 (2) and 69 (1) (c), and (4) to (6) of the Constitution)
STATUS OF MEMBERS
Rank in hierarchy
Indemnities, facilities and services · Diplomatic or official passport
· Basic salary (for the President, see also Art. 115 and 164 of the Constitution)
+ Additional allowance
· Exemption from tax
· Pension scheme
· Other facilities:
(a) Secretariat:
(b) Assistants (see also Art. 65 of the Constitution):
(c) Official housing:
(d) Official car:
(e) Security guards
(f) Postal and telephone services
(g) Travel and transport
Obligation to declare personal assets Yes
Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary non-accountability · The concept does exist (Art. 81 (3) of the Constitution, S. 3 of The Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Regulations).
· Parliamentary non-accountability is limited to words spoken or written by MPs and votes cast within Parliament.
· Derogations: words which are not germane and reasonably appropriate to the proceedings in progress in the Senate, or which are spoken or written maliciously with the object of exposing another person to hatred, contempt or undue ridicule (S. 3 of The Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Regulations).
· Non-accountability takes effect on the day when the mandate begins and offers, after the expiry of the mandate, protection against prosecution for opinions expressed during the exercise of the mandate.
Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary inviolability · The concept does exist (Art. 81 (3) of the Constitution, S. 4 of The Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Regulations).
· It applies to criminal and civil proceedings, covers only criminal offences and civil debts and protects senators only from arrest and from being held in preventive custody. It does not protect them from the opening of judicial proceedings against them and from their homes being searched (but see S. 5 of The Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Regulations).
· No derogations are foreseen.
· Protection is provided only during sessions, and, for civil debts, also whilst going to, attending at or returning from a sitting of the Senate or a committee thereof. Since it does not cover judicial proceedings in general, it does not cover judicial proceedings instituted against senators before their election.
· Parliamentary immunity (inviolability) can be lifted for criminal offences (S. 4 (b) of The Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Regulations):
- Competent authority: the President
· Parliament cannot subject the prosecution and/or detention to certain conditions.
· Parliament cannot suspend the prosecution and/or detention of one of its members.
EXERCISE OF THE MANDATE
Training
Participation in the work of the Parliament . For leave of absence, see SO 4 of the Standing Orders of the Senate
Discipline · The rules governing discipline within Parliament are contained in SO 48 to 50 of the Standing Orders of the Senate.
· Disciplinary measures foreseen:
- Warning for irrelevance (SO 49 (1) of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
- Order to discontinue the speech (SO 49 (1) of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
- Order to withdraw (SO 49 (2), and 50 (4) of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
- Naming and suspension (SO 49 (4), and 50 of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
- Adjournment of the House, suspension of the sitting (SO 49 (3) of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
· Specific cases:
- Senators cannot be accused of offending or insulting Parliament.
· Competent body to judge such cases/to impose penalties (SO 48 of the Standing Orders of the Senate):
- Warning for irrelevance, order to discontinue the speech, order to withdraw, naming, adjournment of the House, suspension of the sitting: the President
- Suspension: the Senate
· Procedure:
- Warning for irrelevance, order to discontinue the speech (SO 49 (1) of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
- Order to withdraw (SO 49 (2), and 50 (4) of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
- Naming and suspension (SO 49 (4), and 50 of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
- Adjournment of the House, suspension of the sitting (SO 49 (3) of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
- General procedure (SO 48 of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
Code (rules) of conduct · This concept does not exist in the country's juridical system but there are some relevant provisions (Art. 60 (1) (f) in connection with Art. 59 (4), 69 (1) (c), and (4) to (6) of the Constitution, S. 20 of The Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Regulations).
· Penalties foreseen for violation of the rules of conduct:
- Loss of mandate (Art. 60 (1) (f) in connection with Art. 59 (4) of the Constitution; incompatibilities; see also Loss of mandate)
- Fine not exceeding four hundred rand, imprisonment not exceeding two years (S. 20 of The Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Regulations; acceptance of bribes)
· Competent body to judge such cases/to impose penalties:
- Loss of mandate: the High Court
· Procedure:
- Loss of mandate (69 (1) (c), and (4) to (6) of the Constitution). In this case, senators have no means of recourse.
- Fine not exceeding four hundred rand, imprisonment not exceeding two years (S. 20 of The Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Regulations).
Relations between MPs and pressure group · There are no legal provisions in this field.

This page was last updated on 21 February 2018
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