In order to enact two critical Bills into law and end the state of emergency that the prime minister announced last week, Lesotho’s King Letsie III called the country’s parliament back into session on Tuesday. The assembly will meet for a week.
After lawmakers failed to approve the National Assembly Electoral Amendment Act and the Eleventh Amendment to the Constitution Bill 2022, Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro proclaimed a state of emergency. Both bills aim to put an end to parliamentary political turbulence before the general elections.
The king “recalled the Tenth Parliament to deal with the task of passing Bills into law in order to resolve the public emergency,” according to a government announcement. It was deemed a “urgent need” by the king.
According to the nation’s constitution, parliament is dissolved 90 days before the general elections and is only able to be brought back under times of emergency or war. It will resume its original state of affairs once it has met again and passed the Bills into law.
Until the new executive is installed following the elections, the current executive will continue to serve.
The European Union (EU) will also send a team of election observers to Lesotho for the first time.
Josep Borrell, Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, chose Ignazio Corrao, a Member of the European Parliament, as the mission’s principal observer.
Borrell claimed in a statement that King Letsie III’s invitation to the EU was an indication of improved ties.
The invitation from the authorities to watch the next elections is very appreciated by the European Union, which places a high importance on its partnership with the Kingdom of Lesotho.
The deployment of this first-ever EU Election Observation Mission demonstrates how the collaboration between Lesotho and the EU, which dates back to 1976, has been steadily growing, he noted.
53 political parties will run for office in the nation with a two million person population.
The most wealthy person in Lesotho, Samuel Matekane, entered the campaign for prime minister, and his Revolution for Prosperity party will try to unseat the current All Basotho Convention.
One of the highest percentages of voter indifference in southern Africa is seen in Lesotho. Only 47% of voters reportedly cast ballots in 2017 according to reports.
