Included in the 22-member cabinet is Thesele Maseribane, who in 1998 was a fiery opposition youth leader at the forefront of an electoral dispute that sparked riots.

A violent opposition reaction to Mosisili's victory in the 1998 polls prompted military intervention from South Africa to restore order.

Maseribane, now leading the Basotho National Party (BNP) which is part of the coalition, was named minister of gender and sports.

A former finance minister and ex-World Bank official, Timothy Thahane, returned to goverment, this time in charge of the energy portfolio.

Thabane's All Basotho Convention, the largest opposition party, teamed up with the Lesotho Congress for Democracy and the BNP to share power and oust the unpopular Mosisili after the May 29 legislative polls.

Mosisili's Democratic Congress party won the most seats, but fell short of the required majority to govern alone.