| Parliament name |
Parliament |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name |
National Assembly |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
Senate
|
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
17 February 2007 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for all members of the National Assembly following the premature dissolution of this body on 30 November 2006. General elections had previously been held on 25 May 2002. |
On 17 November 2006, Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili asked King Letsie III to dissolve the Parliament and call early elections. They were subsequently set for February 2007. A new party, the All Basotho Convention (ABC), had been formed in October 2006 when the former Minister of Communications, Mr. Thomas Thabane, split from the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD). Seventeen other LCD members joined the ABC, reducing the LCD's presence in the 120-member National Assembly to 59 seats and raising the possibility of a vote of no-confidence in the LCD-led government.
In the last elections, which were held in May 2002, the LCD won a total of 77 seats. The opposition Basotho National Party (BNP), which had led the country from 1965 until the 1986 military coup, won 21, while the National Independent Party (NIP) took five. The remaining seats went to small parties.
In all, 14 political parties participated in the 2007 elections. The LCD defended its record in government (according to the Prime Minister, it had created 30,000 new jobs in five years). It also pledged to provide a better pension system and enhance the public school system. The NIP formed an alliance with the LCD in the run-up to the 2007 elections.
The ABC, in alliance with the Lesotho Workers Party, pledged to "change" the country. Its electoral campaign also focused on better education and poverty reduction, and reportedly attracted support from young voters. Another new party, the Basotho Democratic National Party (BDNP), founded by former BNP member Thabang Nyeoe in November 2006, promised to improve the quality of life.
The Government was severely criticized for failing to deal with problems related to unemployment and HIV/AIDS. Lesotho is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with one half of the population reportedly living on less than two dollars per day. It is estimated that one third of adults are HIV-positive.
Approximately 49 per cent of the country's 920,000 registered voters turned out at the polls on 17 February 2007. Observers from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) noted some logistical problems but declared the election process to be free, fair and transparent.
The final results gave 62 constituency seats to the LCD. Under the proportional representation (PR) system, 21 seats went to its ally, the NIP. The ABC came in third with 17 seats, while its ally, the Lesotho Workers Party, took 10. The BNP won only three seats, 18 fewer than at the 2002 elections. The newly formed BDNP took one seat. The opposition parties organized street protests and a general strike to challenge the allocation of PR seats by the Independent Electoral Commission.
On 23 February, Mr. Pakalitha Mosisili was sworn in as Prime Minister for the third time. On the same day, the National Assembly re-elected Ms. Ntlhoi Motsamai as its Speaker for a third consecutive term. The Senate, which was renewed on 9 March, elected Mr. Morena Letapata Makhaola as its President for the first time. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 17 February 2007 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
916'230
49%
|
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% |
|
|
| Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| National Independence Party (NIP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| All Basotho Convention (ABC) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Lesotho Workers Party (LWP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Basotho National Party (BNP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Alliance of Congress Parties (ACP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Basotho Batho Democratic Party (BBDP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Basotho Congress Party (BCP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Basotho Democratic National Party (BDNP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Patriotic Front For Democracy (PFD) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
Constituencies |
PR system |
|
|
| Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) |
62
|
62 |
0 |
|
|
| National Independence Party (NIP) |
21
|
0 |
21 |
|
|
| All Basotho Convention (ABC) |
17
|
17 |
0 |
|
|
| Lesotho Workers Party (LWP) |
10
|
0 |
10 |
|
|
| Basotho National Party (BNP) |
3
|
0 |
3 |
|
|
| Alliance of Congress Parties (ACP) |
2
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
| Basotho Batho Democratic Party (BBDP) |
1
|
0 |
1 |
|
|
| Basotho Congress Party (BCP) |
1
|
0 |
1 |
|
|
| Basotho Democratic National Party (BDNP) |
1
|
0 |
1 |
|
|
| Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP) |
1
|
0 |
1 |
|
|
| Patriotic Front For Democracy (PFD) |
1
|
0 |
1 |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
91
29
24.17%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
Sources:
- http://www.iec.org.ls/home/
- National Assembly (02.03.2007, 27.02.2008)
Note:
Following the death of a candidate prior to the general elections in February 2007, the election in Makhaleng constituency was repeated on 30 June. A female candidate of the LCD was elected, giving a total of 62 seats to the LCD.
Note on the "Distribution of seats according to sex":
Sixteen women were elected from constituencies, while 13 others were elected under the PR system, bringing the total number of women in parliament to 29. |
|
A historical Archive of past election results for this chamber can be found on a separate page