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April 4, 2019

NKOATE THAMAE

3 min read

Mochoboroane calls for Thabane to quit

Mochoboroane calls for Thabane to quit

Selibe Mochoboroane

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Opposition Movement for Economic Change (MEC) leader Selibe Mochoboroane has urged All Basotho Convection (ABC) supporters to advise their leader Prime Minister Dr Thomas Motsoahae Thabane to resign with immediate effect for dismally failing to run the country.

Mochoboroane accused Thabane of disseminating messages which he alleges has encouraged Lesotho Mounted Police Officers to assault suspects under police interrogation, adding police brutality had become rife in Lesotho as a result. Mochoboroane was speaking at
his political party rally which was held at Ha Tikoe in the district of Maseru on Sunday. The call for Thabane to resign comes up following two motions which are already filed in the Parliament’s order paper.
The first motion was proposed by the leader of the opposition Lesotho Congress for democracy (LCD), former Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing who proposed that “Lesotho Prime Minister’s power to advise His Majesty King Letsie III to call for general elections when he wants to avoid a vote of no confidence’s motion should be stopped.”

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ABC member of parliament Sam Rapapa also proposed that members of parliament should be allowed to vote in secret when passing a vote of no confidence in parliament, Mochoboroane said, adding that last Monday the government was supposed to pass sine die motion
which will later followed by prorogation of parliament. Mochoboroane likened the scenario of two factions within ABC party to what occurred within Democratic Congress (DC) led by former Prime Minister Dr Pakalitha Bethuel Mosisili which led to collapse of the previous administration. “These are predictable signs that the 4x4 government is going to collapse before it completes its five-year term, hence my party has kick-started a series of rallies so that, in case snap elections become necessary, we won’t be caught unawares as a party,” Mochoboroane said.

He added his party was focusing on the promotion of its sound policies to the electorate and is ready to compete with major parties like ABC, DC and Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) not small babies like Basotho National party (BNP) and Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the coming general elections. The MEC leader further explained that ABC members should advise their leader to step down due to his failure to run the country. “Police brutality has become rife and at the same time Basotho are facing the challenge of living below the poverty line under Thabane’s administration,” Mochobaroane said adding that he always interrogates people accused of various crimes before Public Accounts Committee and up to now, nobody has died in his interrogation. “Why should people die during police interrogation?”, Mochoboroane asked.

On the issue of reforms, Mochoboroane urged Basotho community to amend the supreme law of Lesotho, the Constitution, in a way that will cater for all elements of society. He added that Lesotho only practices the coalition governance model from New Zealand but only on the basis of a mere coalition agreement which is not binding and therefore always causes coalition governments to collapse due to conflicts of interest of parties on certain issues. Mochoboroane noted the frequent collapse of coalition governments, even before completing a term, costs Lesotho a lot of money which could be used on other development projects for the betterment of Basotho.

Mochoboroane advised His Majesty King Letsie III to appoint an interim government with fewer ministers working together with the State Council selected on merit and not any political party affiliation to work on reforms implementation just before next general election. “I was not happy with the way the 4x4 coalition government dealt with the teachers’ strike issue where students were forced to stay at home for a long time, especially because I am a teacher by profession. Why did it take government so long time to solve this issue?”,
Mochoboroane asked.

He added that if Thabane’s administration fails to adhere with the terms and conditions set to end teachers strike, his party will be on the side of teachers through thick and thin. He concluded by strongly appealing to his supporters to focus on selling their party policies not
propaganda. On the other hand, Kalinyane Seitlheko, a Maseru District Committee Member, indicated that they are fully aware of undemocratic actions by some of the parties in the 4x4 coalition government. Seitlheko urged his party members to promote unity within their party and avoid divisions. Seitlheko announced that party will be holding an elective national conference in the near future.

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