admin
Maseru. — The African Union yesterday welcomed “peaceful” elections this weekend in Lesotho, but noted continuing security concerns in the wake of last year’s failed coup. “The elections were peaceful and transparent,” said Raila Odinga, the former prime minister of Kenya who headed the AU observer mission to Lesotho.
But he stressed the “need for peace and stability and that requires all parties to work together to deal with the necessary reforms. The relationship between the army and the police is marked by tension despite the signing of an accord between these two agencies,” said Odinga.
Lesotho’s snap election was called to break a political deadlock after an attempted coup last August. The small mountain kingdom was plunged into crisis when soldiers attacked police headquarters, looting weapons and killing one officer.
Prime Minister Thomas Thabane described the violence as a coup attempt fuelled by the opposition and fled to neighbouring South Africa. Both the military and opposition denied any bid to seize power.
The army was confined to barracks for the election, while the regional bloc Southern African Development Community (SADC) deployed 475 police officers to provide security.
The military has frequently been used as a political tool in Lesotho’s past — and Odinga recognised the safety concerns of the judiciary that would have to rule on any electoral disputes.
Politicians also came under fire, with the AU noting the southern African country’s crisis “could have been avoided by prioritising national interests over personal interests”.
In June last year, Thabane suspended parliament to avoid a motion that would have seen him ousted from power after his fragile coalition government fell apart.
His All Basotho Convention party, which ran an anti-graft campaign and which is popular among urban voters, pulled ahead early as vote counting began Sunday winning 35 of the country’s 80 constituencies.
The Democratic Congress, led by former Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, held ten.
The Lesotho Congress for Democracy party of Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing, whose differences with Thabane fractured their coalition, had two. Final results are expected later this week. — AFP.
Online Reporter