MASERU – A high ranking member of All Basotho Convention (ABC) who has been called on to account for his ‘untoward’ statements, Mr Motlohi Maliehe, has rebuffed any allegation of possible split as a result of conflicting statements by office bearers of the ruling party. “There is no possibility that All Basotho Convention could split and no member is forming any political party but all should rather be working towards its unity,” said Maliehe. Maliehe is the Minister of Tourism and chairperson of the ABC. Some allegations that he is at the edge of forming a new political party following a letter to him to show cause why he cannot be expelled from the party made rounds since last week. He denied that he was planning to form a splinter party but rather he is working on the ABC unity because that is what it needs and for the sake of the 4x4 government and the nation at large. According to Maliehe there is no possibility of any split whatsoever, especially one that he could be the cause of. He is a co-founder of the ABC, he said, adding that when he founded the party, he promised himself that when he retires from politics he will remain a member of ABC and no other party. When responding to allegations that the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) had agreed there was no need for a disciplinary action against him except for three members, he declined to comment saying disclosing information on that could compromise his response to the letter which he has not yet done. Maliehe was quoted in one political rally accusing the party Leader, Dr. Thomas Thabane of being unable to manage the party by allowing his wife to overstep her boundaries, citing deployment of ministers and other prominent positions as examples. It was after these utterances that Prime Minister Thabane sarcastically asked Maliehe to start packing because by expressing such statements in public he was self-expelling himself from the party. A letter from the party’s NEC then followed asking Maliehe to validate his statements. An outspoken party member, Mr. Montoeli Masoetsa, has also come to the defence of the party to quell  split rumour that the party is heading for split as some members have asked for a special conference with the purpose of deposing the leadership. Masoetsa argued that the conference had nothing to do with any split desire, but that according to some members, the conference was supposed to be held before the end of May but the NEC said the leader would be celebrating his birthday this month so the special conference was postponed to August. He said: “We are surprised because May has come to an end and there is nothing prepared for the leader's birthday celebration, which has made the party members to contemplate seeking a court order to the NEC to call the conference before August.” Masoetsa revealed some of the ABC problems: “initially there was dissatisfaction among Berea ABC Members of Parliament (MP) who were aggrieved because they won all constituencies but they were only offered one ministerial position, but now things have taken a new turn and people are questioning the criteria of deployment of some ABC members into government positions.” He mentioned that last week, the NEC called a meeting at which Maliehe's behaviour was to be on the agenda and during the meeting it was agreed that no disciplinary action will be taken against him; only three members felt a need to have him reprimanded. He revealed: “It however came as a surprise when the 'show cause why' letter was issued to Maliehe signed by the Secretary General Mr. Samonyane Ntsekele who then became one of those who did not see any reason for a disciplinary action against Maliehe.” Efforts to get a comment from Ntsekele failed. A dissatisfaction has been simmering within the ABC, especially among members of parliament who questioned the manner in which the party executed its deployment of cadres in government positions such as ministerial portfolios and principal secretaries as well as ambassadors, which they fault for not being based on merits but favouritism and therefore not transparent as it is done without consultation with the party’s NEC. Lena