Lesotho - Politics

After coming to power in a bloodless coup in 1991, Elias Phitsoane Ramaema repealed the ban on political activity, introduced a new constitution (effectively restoring the old one), and scheduled elections. They were held in March 1993, with Commonwealth and other international observers present, and judged fair.

The Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), led by the veteran democratic campaigner Dr Ntsu Mokhehle, won all 65 seats in the new National Assembly against its main rival, Chief Leabua Jonathan’s old party, the Basotho National Party (BNP). King Letsie III then abdicated in favour of his father, King Moshoeshoe II, who had returned from London following a reconciliation process assisted by the Commonwealth Secretary-General. He was reinstated as monarch in January 1995. But almost exactly one year later, King Moshoeshoe was killed in a car accident. King Letsie III was sworn in for the second time by the College of Chiefs on 7 February 1996.

The BCP lost its majority and joined the opposition in mid-1997 when many of its members including Prime Minister Mokhehle defected to the newly established Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD).

In the general election in May 1998, held under the first-past-the-post system, the LCD won 79 of the 80 National Assembly seats with just over 60% of the votes. The BNP took one seat with 24% of the votes. Following the elections the LCD chose Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili, the party leader, to succeed 79 year-old Ntsu Mokhehle as prime minister.

However, the opposition parties refused to accept the election results, alleging that there had been gross irregularities. An increasingly vigorous campaign of protest reached a peak in August 1998. Stay-away strikes were organised and crowds first gathered at and then camped in front of the Royal Palace in Maseru. Following the intervention of the then South African Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, a team of Botswanan, South African and Zimbabwean experts under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and chaired by a South African judge, Pius Langa, was sent to Lesotho to investigate the allegations.

After conducting hearings in Maseru and a re-count of the votes, the Langa Commission delivered an inconclusive report, which failed to settle the dispute. Further talks between the governing and opposition parties were attempted. But before progress could be made, parts of the Lesotho Defence Forces (LDF) mutinied and, with the security situation in Lesotho deteriorating, the LCD government called on SADC for assistance.

On 22 September 1998 a South African-led SADC force entered Lesotho in response to the government’s appeal. After several days of fighting between the SADC force and elements in the LDF, resulting in at least 80 deaths and large-scale looting in Maseru, the situation was eventually stabilised.

The South African military contingent was reduced in size in December 1998 and completely withdrawn in May 1999. In December 1998, an inter-party committee, the Interim Political Authority (IPA), was established to oversee preparations for new elections within 18 months. However, it then took a long time for agreement to be reached between the political parties on the number of proportional representation seats and the arrangements for voter registration, and the elections were delayed.

When finally approved by parliament, the legislation allowed for 80 seats on a first-past-the-post basis and further 40 seats by means of proportional representation. Elections were held in May 2002 and the LCD took 77 seats and 55% of the votes, the BNP 21 and 21%, and eight other parties each gained seats. The Commonwealth observer group present for the elections said that the conditions existed for a free expression of the will of the voters.

In October 2006, Tom Thabane resigned as a minister in the LCD government to form a new political party, the All Basotho Convention (ABC). Sixteen LCD MPs and one independent defected with him, making the ABC the third largest party in the National Assembly with 18 members.

In the February 2007 general election, which was observed by a Commonwealth expert team, Mosisili and the ruling LCD were returned to power, winning 61 seats. The National Independent Party took 21 seats and ABC 17, mainly in urban areas.