Lesotho may hold its elections as early as in mid February next year after the country's King Letsie III dissolved the parliament on Friday.

A date for the poll will be decided at a meeting of the Council of State scheduled for next Wednesday, said diplomatic sources at Maseru, capital of the southern African country.

The council consists of Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, the speaker of the National Assembly, two High Court judges, commanders of the Lesotho Defense Force and Lesotho Mounted Police Services, one principal chief and two opposition party members of the National Assembly.

The elections was previously planned around April and May, 2007. But now they would have to be held within 90 days from the date of the parliament dissolution.

The decision to pave the way for early elections was widely seen as to help the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy cope with the political challenge it currently faces.

The party, which won a landslide victory in 2002, occupies just 61 seats in the 120-member national assembly after some party members joined Motsoahae Thomas Thabane, leader of the newly-formed political party, All Basotho Convention.

Shortly after resigning as the country's communications minister in October, Thabane and his party assembled increased support, mainly from the Maseru region. However, the vast mountainous rural area is still seen as stronghold of the ruling party.

The Lesotho Congress for Democracy also won the 1998 elections, which, however, was marred by riots after opposition parties protested against the outcome.

With a population of some 1.8 million, Lesotho is still one of the world's poorest countries, with an unemployment rate as high as 45 percent.