Water For Justice

20 TH JULY 2009

STATEMENT OF THE LESOTHO COUNCIL OF NGOs (LCN) AND THE CHRISTIAN

COUNCIL OF LESOTHO (CCL)

ON THE TALKING POINTS OF THE EMINENT PERSON OF SADC,

SIR KETUMILE MASIRE WHO HAS RETIRED HIS MISSION TO LESOTHO

WE, THE LESOTHO COUNCIL OF NGOS (LCN) AND THE CHRISTIAN COUNCIL OF LESOTHO (CCL) AS NON-STATE ACTORS AND WATCHDOGS OF DEMOCRACY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN THE KINGDOM OF LESOTHO

RECALLING OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN THE DEMOCRATIZATION PROCESS IN LESOTHO INCLUDING IN THE POST ELECTORAL DIALOGUE LED BY HIS EXCELLENCY SIR KETUMILE MASIRE, THE SADC EMINENT PERSON,

REMEMBERING THAT,

AFTER THE 2007 LESOTHO GENERAL ELECTIONS, THE COUNTRY ONCE AGAIN CAME TO A STANDSTILL AS THE DISPUTES AROSE OVER THE ALLOCATION OF THE MMP SEATS, WHICH THE OPPOSITION PARTIES FELT HAD BEEN WRONGLY ALLOCATED. THIS THEREFORE CALLED FOR SOME MEASURES TO BE PUT IN PLACE TO TRY AND ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED.

LIKE ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THE COUNTRY AT LARGE, THE LESOTHO COUNCIL OF NGOS AND THE CHRISTIAN COUNCIL OF LESOTHO HAVE RECEIVED THE TALKING POINTS FROM SIR KETUMILE MASIRE ON THE ASSIGNMENT GIVEN TO HIM BY SADC, WHICH SEEM TO HAVE ATTRACTED A LOT OF DEBATE AND COMMENTS.

AWARE THAT,

THE READING OF THE LEADERSHIP (GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION) OF THE SITUATION IS BASED ON THE DICOTOMOUS FRAMEWORK OF THE MAREMATLOU FREEDOM PARTY (Mfp) CASE AND THE RECENT TALKING POINTS DELIVERED BY SIR MASIRE. WHILE IT IS NOT IN THE PLACE OF THE EMINENT PERSON TO PRONOUNCE HIMSELF AGAINST THE DECISIONS OF THE COURTS OF LAW IN LESOTHO, IT SHOULD SIMILARLY RECALLED THAT THE COURT IN THE MFP CASE HAD PRONOUNCED ITSELF NOT TO HAVE JURISDICTION ON THE MATTER. THEREFORE, THE OPPOSING INTERPRETATIONS OF THE SITUATION JUSTIFY THE NEED FOR DIALOGUE ON THE MATTER.

RECOGNISING THAT,

THE SPIRIT OF DIALOGUE THAT PARTIES TO THE DISPUTE DEMONSTRATED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DIALOGUE UP TO THIS FAR WAS COMMENDABLE. HOWEVER, WE NOTE WITH CONCERN THAT IN THE LATTER STAGES OF THE PROCESS, THE SAID COMMITMENT VANISHED.

APPRECIATING,

THE ABLE FACILITATION ROLE PLAYED BY SIR MASIRE. HOWEVER, WE REGRET THAT HE HAD TO ABANDON HIS RESPONSIBILITY DUE TO THE CONDUCT OF THE PARTEIS TO THE DISPUTE.

AWARE THAT,

THE RETIREMENT OF SIR MASIRE HAS CREATED A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY AND MIXED REACTIONS AMONG DIFFERENT SECTORS OF SOCIETY WHICH MAY RENDER THEM VULNERABLE TO VARIOUS KINDS OF INFLUENCE. THEREFORE APPEAL TO:

• THE LEADERS DESIST FROM INFLAMATORY, CONFRONTATIONAL, AND VIOLENT INVOKING STATEMENTS, RATHER WORK TOWARDS A FAVOURABLE ENVIRONMENT THAT IS CONDUCIVE TO PEACE BUILDING AND ENHANCING DEMOCRACY.

• THE MEDIA TO RISE ABOVE THE TRAP OF ADVANCING THEIR INDEPENDENT POSITIONS ON THE STATUS QUO BY INTERPRETING IT IN MANNERS THAT SUIT THEIR NEEDS, AND FURTHER APPEAL TO THEM TO REFRAIN FROM SENSATIONAL REPORTAGE ON THE ISSUE SO THAT IT DOES NOT FUEL TENSIONS WITHIN THE NATION.

• THE NATION TO DESIST FROM ENGAGING IN VIOLENT ACTIONS AS A RESULT OF INFLUENCE FROM THEIR POLITICAL LEADERS.

CONVINCED THAT,

THE MIXED MEMBER PROPORTIONAL (MMP) IS A SUITABLE ELECTORAL MODEL TO THE LESOTHO POLITICAL SITUATION AND THEREFORE SHOULD BE APPLIED TO THE SPIRIT,

THEREFORE,

• CALL UPON THE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP OF THE COUNTRY TO PUT FIRST THE INTERESTS OF THE NATION WAY ABOVE THEIRS.

• APPEAL TO THE SADC TO CONTINUE WITH ITS MISSION OF FACILITATION OF DIALOGUE TO LESOTHO BEYOND THE RETIREMENT OF SIR MASIRE. AS THE RETIREMENT OF THE EMINENT PERSON, SIR MASIRE HAS LEFT AN EVEN MORE VOLATILE SITUATION THAT WAS BEFORE SADC INTERVENED.

IN THE MEANTIME, LCN AND PARTNERS IS ENGAGING DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER, AN EXERCISE LIKELY TO CULMINATE INTO A DIALOGUE, THAT WILL GENERATE OPTION OF WAY FORWARD. THEREFORE, APPEAL TO ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO SUPPORT THIS CIVIL SOCIETY INITIATIVE.