Pakalitha Mosisili became the new party leader and prime minister.

At the elections for the National Assembly, 25 May 2002, the party won 54.9% of popular votes and 77 out of 120 seats.

In the 17 February 2007 parliamentary election, the party won 62 out of 120 seats.

[1] Major splits from the party occurred in October 2001, when leading LCD members Kelebone Maope and Shakhane Mokhehle left the party to form the Lesotho People's Congress and in October 2006, when Tom Thabane left the party to form the All Basotho Convention.

[citation needed] Prior to the Lesotho general election, 2012 the party split again with incumbent Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili forming the Democratic Congress and General Secretary Mothetjoa Metsing taking over the party leadership.