Basotho National Party

political party, Lesotho

Also known as: BNP, Basutoland National Party, Lesotho National Party(Show More)

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June 22, 2026

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The Basotho National Party (BNP) was a conservative political party in Lesotho, founded in 1958 under Chief Leabua Jonathan. It was supported by the South African government and aligned with chiefly power and the Roman Catholic Church. The BNP dominated the 1965 general elections, and when Basutoland gained independence from Britain on October 4, 1966, becoming the Kingdom of Lesotho, Chief Jonathan became the prime minister. The constitution written at independence in 1966 was suspended in 1970 by Jonathan when his party appeared to be losing elections. Political parties were dissolved in 1986 but reauthorized in 1991.123

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flag of Lesotho
…flag of his own ruling Basotho National Party, which had four equal horizontal stripes from top to bottom of blue, white, red, and green. Other parties objected, and instead the national flag displayed green, red, and blue vertically with a white silhouette version of a typical Sotho straw hat.
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…flag of his own ruling Basotho National Party, which had four equal horizontal stripes from top to bottom of blue, white, red, and green. Other parties objected, and instead the national flag displayed green, red, and blue vertically with a white silhouette version of a typical Sotho straw hat.
Read More