Lesotho: Basotho Want Parliament to Heed Voters' Demands but See MPs As Serving Their Own Interests

14 November 2024
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Libuseng Malephane

Most citizens say representatives never listen to ordinary people.

Key findings

  • About six in 10 Basotho say that Parliament, not the prime minister, should make laws (60%) and that MPs should ensure that the prime minister accounts for how his government spends taxpayers' money (62%).
  • More than eight in 10 citizens (83%) want MPs to act in accordance with voters' demands rather than their own ideas.
  • But more than two-thirds (69%) of respondents say MPs never listen to ordinary citizens.
  • Two-thirds (66%) of Basotho say MPs mainly serve their own interests. One-fifth (21%) say they serve the interests of their political parties, and only one in 10 survey participants (11%) believe MPs act in the interests of all Basotho.
  • Almost two-thirds (64%) of Basotho disapprove of their MP's performance. o Only 30% are satisfied with Parliament's monitoring of the executive, while one fourth (25%) are satisfied with MPs' legislative work.
  • Nearly half (48%) of citizens perceive "most" or "all" MPs as corrupt. ▪ And seven in 10 (69%) say they trust parliamentarians "just a little bit" or "not at all."

Lesotho is a parliamentary democracy whose legislature consists of two chambers, the Senate (the upper chamber) and the National Assembly (the lower chamber, generally referred to as Parliament in Lesotho).

The National Assembly consists of 120 elected members. These members are elected in a mixed-member electoral system: 80 seats are elected via a first-past-the-post system, while the other 40 are elected on a proportional-representation basis (Parliament of Lesotho, n.d.).

Globally, the fundamental roles of a legislature are accepted as making laws, holding the executive accountable, and representing the people (Indicators for Democratic Parliament).

So what do Basotho want from their National Assembly? And how do they evaluate its members' performances?

Findings from the most recent Afrobarometer survey show that Basotho want a Parliament that responds to voters' demands, is responsible for enacting laws, and holds the executive to account.

However, what they perceive is members of Parliament (MPs) who serve their own interests and do not listen to citizens. Trust in Parliament is low, and almost half of Basotho say "most" or "all" MPs are corrupt.

Libuseng Malephane Libuseng Malephane is the national investigator for Lesotho.

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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