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File photo: Lesotho Prime Minister Tom Thabane arrives at the White House in Washington DC on August 5, 2014. Photo: Michael Reynolds / (EPA).
Lesotho’s main political party, the ABC, has reportedly issued an ultimatum to the conflicting Prime Minister Tom Thabane to resign this weekend or be removed by a vote of mistrust in Parliament next week.
The ultimatum follows the passage of legislation this week that would deny Tom Thabane the ploy of dissolving parliament and calling for new elections if he loses that vote of mistrust.
Thabane, 80, seems to have run out of options to hold on to power, although the cunning politician may still have another trick up his sleeve.
Under pressure from ABC after a series of scandals, culminating in the fact that his wife Maesiah was charged with the murder of his ex-wife Lipolelo in 2017, Thabane agreed in January to resign in late July.
But his opponents don’t trust that promise, especially after he called the army to protect him 10 days ago, raising fears that he was mounting a de facto military coup to stay in office.
That prompted a visit to Lesotho by former Cabinet Minister Jeff Radebe, acting as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s representative, and an agreement after meeting with all major players that Thabane should be allowed a dignified, elegant and safe retirement.
The agreement did not include a timetable, although sources close to the negotiations said Daily Maverick Thabane would go as soon as the ninth draft constitutional amendment was passed, which would prevent a prime minister from dissolving parliament if voted on. But Thabane said to Lesotho Times they would not remove him from the office and he would leave in due course.
The National Assembly already approved the ninth constitutional amendment and on Tuesday this week, the Senate also approved it. Now he only needs King Letsie’s signature to become law. That could happen as soon as this week.
On Wednesday, ABC spokesman Montoeli Masoetsa told the Lesotho Times that if Thabane did not leave before that, a motion of no confidence in him would be presented in the National Assembly next Monday or soon after. “There is no hiding place for him now,” the newspaper said. “If he wants to shamefully leave through a vote of no confidence, that’s fine … It’s his choice.”
Thabane himself founded the ABC, but most of his MPs have abandoned him to join the main opposition Democratic Congress (DC) and other smaller parties in forming a new government on hold that appears to enjoy a clear majority of the 120 seats in the National Assembly.
Lesotho Times He also quoted DC Deputy Director Motlalentoa Letsosa as saying that Thabane must now leave to allow the formation of the new government without further delay.
“It is clear that he (Thabane) has to leave because he ran out of options. Dissolving parliament is no longer an option for him. If he does not resign voluntarily, we will use the new law to leave him. He should have left a long time ago if I really want an elegant and dignified outlet, ”he said.
And the newspaper said Thabane suffered another blow when the National Assembly rejected his attempts this week to achieve a six-month state of emergency, for fear of giving him leeway to use security agencies to hold on to power.
Under the ninth constitutional amendment now approved by both houses, a prime minister who loses a vote of no confidence will be forced to resign within three days of the loss. He would no longer have the option of advising King Letsie III to dissolve parliament and call new elections unless that decision was backed by a two-thirds majority of the 120 members of the National Assembly.
The bill also amended Section 83 of the constitution to strip the prime minister of his powers to unilaterally extend: suspend parliament without the backing of two-thirds of the 120 lawmakers.
It has also amended Section 90 to allow legislators to be appointed to act instead of the prime minister whenever the latter is absent. Currently, only the Deputy Prime Minister or Cabinet Ministers can act in place of the Prime Minister.
The draft amendment was overwhelmingly approved by the National Assembly on March 12, 2020. A week later, on March 20, 2020, Thabane unilaterally “extended” parliament until June 19, 2020, citing the need to stop large meetings. as part of the fight against the coronavirus (Covid -19). Critics of the prime minister accused him of actually trying to thwart the progress of the bill. The extension effectively prevented the Senate from debating and voting on the bill.
However, on April 17, 2020, the Constitutional Court annulled the extension, paving the way for the passage of the ninth constitutional amendment that now appears to be finally ending Thabane’s turbulent political career. DM
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