United Nations, Dec 10 (IANS): UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed Lesotho's political progress and called for an environment conducive to peaceful and credible elections in the African nation.

A statement issued by Ban's spokesperson Tuesday said the secretary-general noted the recent announcement by King Letsie III of the Kingdom of Lesotho that national elections would be held Feb 28, 2015, Xinhua reported.

"The Secretary-General welcomes the progress achieved so far in the efforts to uphold democratic principles and secure the restoration of political stability and security in the Kingdom," the statement said.

He also reaffirmed the UN's continued commitment to support the efforts of the government and the people of Lesotho to consolidate peace in the kingdom.

The decision to hold early elections came from the summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) held earlier this year with a view to help Lesotho to return to political normalcy and stabilise its security situation.

Lesotho has been in political turmoil since June when Prime Minister Thomas Thabane suspended parliament to avoid a vote of no-confidence that was being pushed by his coalition government partners.