VZCZCXRO1803
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHRN
DE RUEHMR #0337/01 1621831
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111831Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY MASERU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3037
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 3409

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000337 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT ALSO FOR AF/S 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL LT
SUBJECT: TANZANIAN FM DELIVERS SADC REPORT TO LESOTHO 
 
REF: MASERU 258 AND PREVIOUS 
 
MASERU 00000337  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  On June 11, Tanzanian Foreign Minister Membe, in 
his capacity as representative of the Chairperson of SADC's 
Troika on Politics, Defense, and Security, delivered a much 
anticipated report to Lesotho on the country's contested 
February 2007 national election.  The Troika's recommendations, 
however, merely stated an obvious need for dialogue, for 
measures to improve upon the Lesotho's Mixed Member Proportional 
Model prior to future elections, and for legislated fixes to 
prohibit manipulation of the model.  The opposition will no 
doubt be disappointed that SADC has failed to address its 
immediate grievances, while the GOL will look to the report as a 
means to move beyond the impasse and return to governance 
issues.  How the opposition reacts to the report, particularly 
with its boisterous supporters, will define the next chapter in 
this saga.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  The Foreign Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, 
Bernard Membe, arrived in Lesotho on Sunday, June 10 to deliver 
a long-awaited report by the Southern African Development 
Community (SADC) Troika on Politics, Defense, and Security 
regarding Lesotho's contested February 2007 elections and 
subsequent distribution of parliamentary seats.  Membe met on 
June 11 with Lesotho's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prime 
Minister, and leaders of political parties.  Although Membe met 
with members of the Maseru diplomatic corps during a SADC 
Ministerial in March, as did a SADC Organ Troika delegation in 
April, there are no indications that Membe planned to hold such 
a briefing on this trip.  He is expected to depart Lesotho the 
evening of June 11. 
 
¶3.  The SADC Organ Troika effort is the result of a decision 
made in Dar-es-Salaam on March 29 at a SADC Extraordinary 
Summit.   The Summit had agreed to field a Ministerial 
Assessment Mission to Lesotho in light of an unresolved 
political impasse, including a debilitating work stoppage, that 
followed an otherwise peaceful February election.  Leading 
opposition parties have contested the governing party's alliance 
with the rump leadership of small opposition party and the 
Independent Electoral Commission's subsequent distribution of 
National Assembly seats which accorded the governing LCD an 
ample majority and retention of government power (Note: The 
leading opposition party, the ABC, also formed a similar 
alliance for election purposes.  End Note).  According to a copy 
of the main report and executive summary obtained late on June 
11, the SADC Organ Troika made the following recommendations: 
 
Begin Text of "SADC Ministerial Troika Recommendations to the 
Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security 
Cooperation:" 
 
i) Considering the overarching nature and far-reaching political 
and security implications of the above findings and the 
suggested recommendations, it is recommended that: 
 
ii) The Chairperson of the Organ in consultation with the TROIKA 
of the Organ should urge the Government of the Kingdom of 
Lesotho to initiate a formal political dialog with a view to 
resolve the political problems between the opposition parties 
and the ruling party. 
 
iii) SADC should facilitate the internal political dialogue. 
 
iv) SADC may wish to nominate one of its "imminent Persons" from 
the Former Presidents to facilitate and supervise the internal 
political dialogue process. 
 
v) MMP (Embassy Note:  "Mixed Member Proportional") electoral 
model external experts in combination with people who have a 
full Lesotho political background should be engaged to 
facilitate the review of the model. 
 
vi) SADC should urge all political stakeholders to respect the 
outcome of the democratic elections and address their existing 
political differences peacefully through dialogue. 
 
vii) A formal request should be made by SADC and the Government 
of Lesotho to UNDP and the German and USA Governments for 
financial and technical assistance. 
 
viii) The process for internal dialogue in Lesotho should start 
immediately to pre-empt the possibility of repeated waves of 
tension. 
 
ix) SADC should urge the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho to 
put in place a specific law and regulations aimed to protect the 
spirit and intent of the MMP model as proposed by the SADC 
election observer mission report. 
 
x) SADC should implore the Government of Lesotho to promulgate 
legislation aimed specifically to regulate the formulation of 
 
MASERU 00000337  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
alliances and coalitions inside and outside parliament and 
during and between elections. 
 
End Text (Note: Recommendations v, ix, and x appeared in the 
Main Report, but not in the Executive Summary.  End Note). 
 
¶4.  Comment:  The SADC report on Lesotho's elections has been 
the subject of intense speculation and rumors in the Mountain 
Kingdom over the last two months, including anticipation by some 
opposition members that SADC would recommend retroactive 
redistribution of parliamentary seats.  As expected by more 
realistic observers, however, the report merely rehashed the 
history of Lesotho's electoral process, the allocation of seats, 
and various election-related developments.  The recommendations 
state the obvious need for dialogue, for measures to improve 
upon the MMP model prior to future elections, and for legislated 
fixes to prohibit manipulation of the model by using proxy party 
alliances.  The opposition will no doubt be disappointed that 
SADC has failed to address its immediate grievances, while the 
GOL will look to the report as a means to move beyond the 
impasse and return to governance issues.  How the opposition 
reacts to the report, particularly with its boisterous 
supporters, will define the next chapter in this saga. End 
Comment. 
MURPHY