Lesotho’s Chinese-funded and constructed parliament building is located on Mpilo Hill in Maseru.
Designed by China Northeast Architectural design and Research Institute and constructed by the China Yanjian Group, the building was inaugurated in 2012.
The parliament complex , covering an area of 43 273 square metres, includes a four storey building that houses the National Assembly offices, the debate chamber, the reception checkpoint, accessory buildings, parking lot, open grounds and a retaining wall.
The debate chamber roof is designed as a mokorotlo, a traditional Lesotho hat which is a distintive national symbol.
Significantly, the parliament building opening coincided with a change in the Lesotho electoral system that introduced legislators selected through a mixed member proportional (MMP) representation.
Consequently, due to the instability of coalition governtments, the building is seen by ordinary Basotho as the epitome of political dysfunctionality.
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