Lesotho: Victory Secured for Ruling Party

20 February 2007
allAfrica.com
By Verna Rainers

Cape Town — The ruling Lesotho Congress Party has retained power in the kingdom's elections, but with a reduced majority.

With the results of only five of 80 constituencies outstanding, the LCD had taken the lead by 40 seats. At 9 am GMT on Tuesday, the LCD had won 57 seats, with the newly-launched All Basotho Convention (ABC) in second place with 17 seats. The Alliance of Congress Parties had only one seat, reported Rethabile Pholo of the Independent Electoral Commission.

The Basotho National Party (BNP), which ruled the country for 20 years from independence in 1966, had yet to win a seat.

This year's election was called early after veteran politician Tom Thabane led 18 members of parliament out of the LCD to form the ABC. In the last election in 2002, the LCD's landslide victory of 77 seats was disputed by the party's opponents.

Once the counting of votes is finalised, a further 40 seats will be allocated to parties on the basis of proportional representation.

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