Lesotho gained freedom on October 4, 1966. In January 1970 the ruling Basotho National Party (BNP) looked set to lose the first post-freedom general elections when Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan annulled the election. He refused to cede power to the Basotho Congress Party (BCP) and imprisoned its leadership. The BNP governed by decree until January 1986 when a military coup forced them out of office. The Military Council that came into power granted administrator powers to King Moshoeshoe II, which was until then a ceremonial monarch. In 1987, the King was forced into exile after a falling out with the army. His son was installed as King Letsie III.

An Interim Political Authority (IPA), charged with reviewing the electoral structure in the nation, was created in December 1998. The IPA devised a proportional electoral system to ensure that there be opposition in the National Assembly. The new system retained the existing 80 elected Assembly seats, but added 40 seats to be filled on a proportional basis. Elections were held under this new system in May 2002 and the LCD won again. For the first time, opposition political parties won remarkable numbers of seats. Nine opposition parties hold all 40 of the proportional seats, with the BNP having the largest share (21). The LCD has 79 of the 80 constituency based seats. Although its elected members participate in the National Assembly, the BNP has launched several legal challenges to the elections; none has been successful.