Lesotho has planned to hold Parliamentary elections and choose, a Prime Minister to head the government of the country slated for October 7.
The elections are expected to attract regional attention as Lesotho has experienced some political instability over the past few years, which has resulted in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) putting in place various measures to address the situation in the Kingdom.
This development was disclosed in a statement released by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of Lesotho.
Meeting at its annual SADC Summit held in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, southern African leaders noted progress by Lesotho in the implementation of some of the regional decisions aimed at promoting peace in the country.
The summit also urged the country to expedite the completion of the ongoing political reforms and to continue with the peace, justice, and reconciliation process to establish national healing and cohesion.
One of the key achievements of the SADC facilitated process was the establishment of the National Reforms Authority (NRA) in February 2020 to oversee the implementation of political reforms.
The NRA which was later dissolved in April 2022 made some progress in facilitating reforms in seven thematic areas — constitutional, security, economy, judiciary, public service, parliament, and the media.
The SADC Election Observation Mission (SEOM) will observe the October 7 elections in accordance with the provisions of the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections and will issue a comprehensive report on the conduct of the polls after the elections
Head of SEOM, Frans Kapofi, who is the Namibian Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs has commended the people of Lesotho for the general peace and calm, adding that this should be maintained during and after the polls.
Source: SANF
