VZCZCXRO6133
PP RUEHDU RUEHJO
DE RUEHMR #0260/01 1531352
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021352Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY MASERU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2081
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 2355

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000260 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
AF/S 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM LT
SUBJECT: LEADING OPPOSITION PARTY BRIEFS U.S. AMBASSADOR AND DONORS; 
LEADERSHIP LATER SUSPENDED FROM PARLIAMENT 
 
REF: MASERU 035 
 
MASERU 00000260  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: The Ambassador met with General Metsing 
Lekhanya, the leader of the largest opposition party, the 
Basotho National Party (BNP), on Thursday May 18, 2006. He was 
accompanied by party Secretary General, Ranthomeng Matete. The 
meeting was held at the request of the BNP leadership, which 
wanted the Ambassador to intervene on their behalf against the 
impending action by the Speaker of National Assembly, Ntlhoi 
Motsamai following recommendations by the Parliamentary 
Privileges Committee to suspend the senior members of the BNP 
including the leader. Lekhanya gave a brief background on the 
Speaker's unilateral action to nominate a rebel BNP member to 
attend a Southern African Development Community (SADC) 
Parliamentary Forum Meeting in Gaborone, Botswana without 
consulting the BNP leadership. The Ambassador stressed the need 
for dialogue in order to resolve this matter diplomatically not 
through political action but compromise. Based on donor 
information received May 31, it appears the BNP misrepresented 
development partners' recommendations for negotiations emphasis 
on compromise and their stated non-intervention stance.  End 
Summary. 
 
Opposition Views Presented to USG 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) During the Embassy meeting, Lekhanya noted with 
concern that the impending action by Parliament, which is 
dominated by the ruling party, the Lesotho Congress for 
Democracy (LCD), has no legal standing. He stressed that his 
party had not violated any parliamentary procedures by 
protesting against the Speaker's actions. 
 
 
(Note: In September 2005, the Speaker of Parliament (a member of 
the ruling party, LCD), nominated a rebel BNP Member of 
Parliament (MP) to attend a SADC Parliamentary Forum Meeting, 
which focused on the harmonization of the region's electoral 
laws. Outraged by this nomination, Lekhanya wrote a letter to 
the Speaker requesting her to reconsider the nomination and make 
proper consultations. The BNP leader was of the opinion that the 
Speaker's nominee did not meet the specification of the meeting, 
which required political parties in Parliament to send 
Secretaries General and Chief Whips, and the Speaker's nominee 
 
SIPDIS 
did not fall within that category. The Speaker did not reply to 
Lekhanya's letter. Subsequently, the BNP Youth League, took up 
the matter in a petition to the Speaker. According to Lekhanya, 
the petition was presented through a protest march permitted by 
police, who escorted the marchers to the Parliament, where the 
Clerk of the National Assembly duly received the petition. He 
said a couple of days after the petition, the Speaker responded 
by making a statement in the National Assembly. Among other 
things, she took the opportunity to reprimand the BNP leadership 
for writing letters to her complaining about various issues. She 
also referred to the petition by the Youth League. The Deputy 
Prime Minister who is also  Leader of the House, Lesao Lehohla, 
moved a motion condemning the "BNP elements" responsible for the 
petition to the Speaker. The motion also referred the matter to 
the Committee on Privileges whose majority comprises of members 
of the LCD. End note. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Although the committee's recommendations have not been 
made public, reliable sources indicate that on May 18, 2006, the 
Committee on Privileges recommended that the BNP leader be 
suspended from Parliament for ten (10) months, and the other 
senior party members (including the Secretary General, Treasurer 
and Youth League Chairman) for six (6) months. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Lekhanya and Matete informed the Ambassador that 
neither the BNP Youth League nor party leadership itself 
violated any law or any existing code of ethics. Lekhanya 
indicated that presenting a petition is a democratic right. He 
warned that the Speaker's unilateral action set a dangerous 
precedent that desecrates the independence and integrity of 
political parties. General Lekhanya observed that the new 
multi-party dispensation in the National Assembly in still in 
its infancy, and needs to be nurtured.  He added that his party 
is largely responsible for the peace and stability that prevails 
in the country today. The BNP leader pointed out that democratic 
expression is being sacrificed for political expediency and 
hidden agendas and the repercussions of this action may affect 
stability of the country and the 2007 national elections. 
 
Ambassador Emphasizes Open Dialogue 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) In response, the Ambassador, urged Lekhanya to seek 
dialogue with the Speaker or with the Leader of the House, who 
is also Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of the LCD.  She 
 
MASERU 00000260  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
emphasized that exchange of letters is good for the record but a 
face-to-face meeting with the Speaker would be more important 
and fruitful.  Matete informed the Ambassador that the BNP's 
numerous requests to meet the Speaker or the LCD leadership have 
fallen on deaf ears hence, the need for the intervention of the 
Ambassador. The Ambassador stressed that a crucial step is being 
omitted by not giving dialogue a chance.  She promised to 
consult with her colleagues in order to facilitate dialogue and 
provide pre-electoral traning. The Ambassador, the UN Resident 
Representative and the Irish Ambassador jointly counseled the 
opposition to seek a democratic, negotiated solution and also 
requested the GOL to seek same. (reftel) 
 
Parliamentary Response 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶6. (SBU) On May 31 2006,   The National Assembly, after several 
days of  debating whether to adopt or reject the recommendations 
of the Committee on Privileges, decided to suspend the BNP 
leadership. Before the National Assembly took a decision, the 
Leader of the House, Lesao Lehohla, who is Deputy Prime Minister 
and Minister of Home Affairs and Public Safety made a statement 
urging the House to take a tough stance against the BNP 
leadership. In his statement, Lehohla indicated that they had 
been getting information from outside the country "accusing " 
them of expelling Members from the House.  (Comment:  The Donor 
community's request was not for specific action, but to obtain 
the GOL's view point since only the opposition's had been 
brought to their attention.  The Deputy Prime Minster was 
specifically advised by donors that the international community 
was not there to intervene in internal affairs, but to stress 
the necessity for dialogue and the democractic process as well 
as to ensure an atmosphere in which donors could function.  He 
added that this was far from the truth.  Lehohla also pointed 
out that the local diplomatic community questioned him about 
Members of Parliament who said they were due to be expelled and 
he asked where they had obtained such information.  Donors 
indicated members of Parliament had called them.  End Comment) 
He stressed that " in any case, the Parliament of Lesotho has 
the authority and sovereign rights to do as it pleases", and he 
was not the one to stop it. The leader of the BNP was  suspended 
for ten (10) months without pay. The other senior members 
including Secretary General, Treasurer, Youth League Chairman 
and Party Second Whip, were suspended for six (6) months without 
pay. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Comment: The suspension of senior members of the BNP 
from Parliament for up to ten (10) months, may be counter 
productive due to the possibility that the party may choose to 
withdraw all its members from the National Assembly. As the 
largest opposition party and a potential alternative to the 
incumbent government, this may have adverse effects of the 
stability of the country ahead of the national elections, which 
are scheduled to take place in May 2007. To some observers, this 
is merely a strategy by the ruling party to divide and weaken 
the biggest opposition party ahead of the elections. At the same 
time, it appears the BNP misrepresented its  case to the Speaker 
suggesting donors supported their case - a completely false 
charge which was refuted by the UN Resident Representative in 
her June 01 exchange with the Speaker.  Clarification of the 
parliamentary discussion is expected in the near future.  Donors 
(and government) have agreed that further education of all 
political parties is essential over the coming months.  The 
Prime Minister has requested such assistance for the country. 
PERRY