It suffered a similar defeat in the 1998 general election, in which it won 24.5% of the vote but only one seat in the National Assembly.

Due to its lack of success in winning constituencies, the party sought the introduction of proportional representation in deciding the allocation of seats; as a compromise, a mixed system providing for 40 compensatory seats that would be decided through proportional representation (in addition to the 80 constituency seats) was introduced.

[3] In the 25 May 2002 general election, the party won 21 compensatory seats through proportional representation[2] with 22.4% of the vote.

Since then, the party has been rocked by internal squabbles which have seen it fail to provide an effective opposition within the Lesotho parliament.

Its headquarters is in Maseru, the capital city.The BNP was hostile to South Africa's intentions to incorporate Lesotho.It also provided an end to racial descrimination in Lesotho,the gradual Africanization of the civil service and business and a government which was answerable to Basotho.