Bicameralism in Lesotho is specifically modeled after the Westminster system of the United Kingdom,[2] having an upper house weaker than the lower.[3] 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.[4]
The current Senate has a total of 33 members. 22 are hereditary tribal chiefs who perform executive functions for their respective communities and 11 are nominated by the King on the Prime Minister's advice and generally align with the King in their legislative behavior.[5] Members serve five-year terms. Senators may not serve simultaneously as members of the National Assembly.[6]
^Nwafor 2013, p. 59: "The composition of the parliament is very instructive when viewed in the context of separation of powers: the King, a chief executive in his own right; a Senate comprised of the principal chiefs, who perform mostly executive functions in their respective communities; and eleven persons nominated by the King, who mostly owe allegiance to the King in the discharge of their legislative functions."
