Lesotho election positive step for region

In stark contrast to the regions most recent presidential election in Zimbabwe, Lesotho's 25 May poll has been described as a model for Southern Africa and the continent. It was announced on Tuesday that the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) had won an absolute majority, scooping 61 out of 120 parliamentary seats. The final results were expected on Wednesday. Roger Southall, executive director of the democracy and governance programme of South Africa's Human Sciences Research Council, who was in Lesotho to observe voting, told IRIN: "There's absolutely no doubt that it was free and fair. I don't think there's any doubt that this election was probably one of the most efficiently run elections you could find anywhere in Africa. "A lot of effort had gone into preparing the IEC [Independent Electoral Commission] over the last two years. Their technical capacity has been markedly improved, it was probably the most high tech election that Africa has ever seen." As to the conduct of the poll at voting stations, Southall said polling staff were meticulous in explaining the system to voters. Voters had to cast two votes, one for a party and the other for a constituency candidate. Staff made sure they did not confuse the two ballots. "They were given them one at a time. They deposited the party vote in a box marked party and were guided by officials. Only after that did they then cast a vote for a constituency candidate," said Southall. International observer missions have agreed. A joint statement by international election observation delegations in Lesotho said the poll was "free, fair, peaceful, lawful and transparent". The international observer delegations commended the IEC, polling officers and party agents for their dedication to their duties despite hardships posed by physical and climatic conditions. The election was seen as critical for Lesotho's recovery from the devastating riots that marked the rejection of the 1998 poll, which saw the ruling party win all but one parliamentary seat. The capital, Maseru's, commercial district was gutted and the country's economy fell into recession. The violent rejection of the 1998 election result was because a significant percentage of voters were denied representation in parliament because of the First Past the Post (FPTP) electoral system that was then in place. The riots led to a military intervention by the Southern African Development Community (SADC). When law and order was restored the Interim Political Authority, incorporating all political parties, was established and the IEC restructured. A new mixed electoral system incorporating the FPTP and the proportional representation (PR) systems was agreed upon. This new system would now ensure that parties would win seats in parliament either by winning constituencies, of which there are 80, or enough votes to warrant some of the 40 PR seats available. Regionally a successful election meant that "after the disaster of Zimbabwe there has been an undoubtedly free and well conducted election in the region," said Southall.