Lesotho: Democracy and instability (1993-1998) (continued)

Unrest continued in 1995 amongst members of the security forces resulting in further wage concessions, but these, while resulting in rioting, abductions of members of parliament other violence, did not seriously threaten the constitutional order (Wikipedia 2007; Institute of Security Studies 2003). On 15 January 1996 King Moshoeshoe II died in a car accident and King Letsie III resumed the throne (Encyclopedia of the Nations 2005; Lesotho Government Undated). In January 1997 a violent mutiny by the police was suppressed by the RLDF (Wikipedia 2007).

In late February 1997 the increasingly aged and ill Mokhehle and his followers were expelled from a BCP party conference and in March he was replaced was replaced as party leader by Molapo Qhobela. The decision was set aside by the High Court which ruled that Mokhehle was to continue as leader until a new leadership election in July but, as a result of violent clashes between the two factions of the BCP, he left the BCP to form the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) in June (Saunders 2002, 526; Lodge et al). Since 38 MPs crossed the floor from the BCP to the LCD with him, Mokhehle retained a majority in Parliament and remained on as Prime Minister while the BCP under Qhobela, now relegated to the status of official opposition, boycotted National Assembly sessions (Saunders 2002, 526; Wikipedia 2007). Mokhehle retired from politics in January 1998 (he died a year later) and was succeeded Pakalitha Mosisili who led the LCD in the elections held between 24-26 May 1998 (Institute of Security Studies 2003; Saunders 2002, 524). The election saw the BNP increase its vote slightly on the 1993 election and gain a single seat in the National Assembly. The BCP however lost most of its support to the LCD and failed to obtain a single seat (see 1998 National Assembly election results), while the LCD won all the other seats with 60% of the vote.

The results of the 1998 election exposed once more the weakness of the single member plurality system that Lesotho inherited from Britain at independence and precipitated a new period of political instability (Lesotho Government Undated). The opposition parties which had won nearly 40% of the vote obtained only one seat in the National assembly. Once more allegations of fraud were made, this time by the BCP and the BNP, and violent protests were held in the Maseru resulting in loss of life, injuries, looting and property destruction (Columbia Encyclopedia 2007; Lesotho Government Undated). Parliament was occupied and government was brought to a standstill (Lodge et al 2002, 95). International observers and an inquiry by South African judge Lange found that irregularities were insufficient to affect the outcome (Lesotho Government Undated; Wikipedia 2007). Nevertheless, protests continued with soldiers taking the part of the protesters against the police; on 10 September the commander of the RLDF, Lt Gen Mosakeng, and other senior officers were taken prisoner and forced to resign by junior officers aligned with the opposition (Institute of Security Studies 2003). To pre-empt a military coup the government requested military intervention on the part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and South African troops, followed by Botswana forces, occupied Maseru in late September (Wikipedia 2007; Lodge et al 2002, 95). The unpopular SADC intervention unleashed a wave of looting and massive property destruction, first in the capital, then elsewhere, which the SADC troops failed to act against, resulting in loss of life, the flight of citizens to the rural areas and serious damage to the economy (Saunders 2002; 526; Encyclopedia of the Nations 2005).

As calm slowly returned to the Kingdom, and with the help of South African mediation, the conflicting parties met for talks in mid-October of 1998 and agreed to set up an Interim Political Authority (IPA) consisting of two members from each party, to review the electoral system and to organize new elections within 18 months; the IPA was constituted in December of that year (Columbia Encyclopedia 2007; Wikipedia 2007). When it was evident that stability had been established the SADC troops, except for a team of South African trainers (later augmented by Zimbabwean soldiers), were withdrawn in May 1999 (Institute of Security Studies 2003; Encyclopedia of the Nations 2005).

References

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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE NATIONS 2005, "Lesotho History", Thomson Gale, [www] http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Lesotho-HISTORY.html [opens new window] (accessed 23 Oct 2007).

INSTITUTE OF SECURITY STUDIES 2003, "Lesotho: History and Politics", [www] http://www.iss.co.za/af/profiles/Lesotho/Politics.html [opens new window] (accessed 23 Oct 2007).

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