Lesotho general election, 2007
The parliamentary elections in Lesotho took place in 2007 in the Kingdom of Lesotho on 17 February 2007. Was elected the National Assembly, which chooses the Prime Minister and for the government.
Starting position
Since 1998 Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili had held the office of Prime Minister. He belonged to the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), which he had founded as a spin-off of the Basotho Congress Party ( BCP). In October 2006, Tom Thabane had left the group with 17 other LCD deputies and the All Basotho Convention (ABC) established so that Mosilisis party only 61 made of 120 Parliament simply. Mosisili then asked King Letsie III. , To organize new elections a few months before the regular date in May. On 24 November 2006, the election date was announced. In addition to the LCD and the ABC included performances by the National Independent Party (NIP ), which was close to the LCD, the ABC close Lesotho Workers' Party ( LWP ), the former ruling parties BCP and Basotho National Party ( BNP ) and the left- Popular Front for Democracy ( PFD) and the royal house related Marematlou Freedom Party ( MFP) to. The also spawned from the BCP parties Lesotho People's Congress ( LPC) and Basutoland African Congress (BAC ) had merged to form Alliance of Congress Parties (ACP).
Since 2002, in addition to 80 direct candidates list 40 candidates were elected, the parties belong to the direct mandates - are represented disproportionately - calculated on the number of 120 MPs. After an initiative from Mosilisis May 2006, the percentage of women candidates should be increased.
The distribution of seats after the 2002 elections was as follows: LCD 79 (all directly elected ), BNP 21, NIP 5, LPC 5, BAC 3, BCP 3, LWP, PFD, MFP and National Progressive Party (NPP ) per 1 seat
Expiration
The choice was between candidates in the 80 constituencies and politicians on electoral lists for the remaining 40 seats to be awarded. The election took place on 17 February 2007 ( Saturday ) instead. The elections were observed by representatives of the SADC. The counting of the electoral districts took several days.
Result
The constituency MPs come from three parties: 62 from LCD, 17 of the ABC and a deputy of the ACP. About party lists following Members were elected: NIP 21, LWP 10, BNP 3, ACP, PFD, Basotho Batho Democratic Party ( BBDP ), BCP, Basotho Democratic National Party ( BDNP ) and MFP per 1 62 The seat of the LCD was only fixed by a by-election on 30 June 2007 after a candidate had died in the constituency Makhaleng.
This LCD set and the Confederate NIP together 83 of the 120 seats. Around 29 per cent of MPs were women, much more than before.
442 963 people ( 50.2 % of eligible voters ) participated in the election.
Follow
Mosisili could remain Prime Minister after this election. Tom Thabane and other opposition leaders criticized the slow counting and the decisions of the Electoral Commission in some constituencies. Thabane described the election as " free but not fair", while the SADC representatives had no objections.