VZCZCXRO5729
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHRN
DE RUEHMR #0350/01 1652041
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 142041Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY MASERU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3054
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 3426

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000350 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/S 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL LT
SUBJECT: LESOTHO: FORMER BOTSWANA PRESIDENT LEADS SADC DIALOGUE 
EFFORT 
 
REF: MASERU 337 
 
MASERU 00000350  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  A mere two days after a SADC Troika report on 
Lesotho's political impasse called for a SADC-facilitated 
dialogue, former Botswana President Ketumile Masire arrived in 
the capital city of Maseru for a six-day effort aimed at 
resolving a post-election stand-off that has at times threatened 
to devolve into violence.  Masire's nascent effort has restored 
faith in the SADC process, which had deteriorated during the two 
months it took for the Troika to produce its report.  His 
cautious approach to actual mediation, however, may fall short 
of a broad local consensus that the impasse will persist unless 
the country's political parties finally agree to sit down and 
talk face-to-face.  End Comment. 
 
¶2. (U) Following the June 11 delivery to Lesotho of a SADC 
Troika report on Lesotho's post-election impasse, former 
Botswana President Ketumile Masire arrived in Maseru on June 13 
at the head of a SADC delegation for a six-day effort aimed at 
achieving a dialogue among the country's political parties.  The 
June 11 assessment report, offered by the "SADC Ministerial 
Troika Mission of the Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security 
Cooperation," called for the GOL to initiate a formal political 
dialogue, facilitated by SADC and an "imminent person" from 
among the region's former Presidents.  (Note:  Masire was an 
international observer with the Electoral Institute of Southern 
Africa during Lesotho's February 17 election.  End Note.) 
 
¶3. (U) On June 14 former President Masire called on the King of 
Lesotho, Prime Minister Mosisili, and the Independent Electoral 
Commission and held a briefing with the heads of diplomatic 
missions.  He also planned to consult with church groups, media 
organizations, and the Lesotho Congress of NGOs (LCN).  On June 
15, Masire, accompanied by several SADC officials, intends to 
hold separate consultative meetings with the opposition parties 
and with the governing LCD party. 
 
¶4. (SBU) In his briefing with the diplomats, Masire offered very 
little about his specific dialogue or mediation efforts.  He 
said that the President of Tanzania, as Chair of the Troika, has 
asked him to "see what is happening in Lesotho and find out how 
to put out the fires."  Queried by Charge about press reports 
indicating that Masire would mediate a direct dialogue between 
the governing and opposition parties over the weekend of June 
16-17, the former President said he had no plans at this point 
to bring the two sides together, "because they'll just shout at 
each other."  He said he hoped to garner "a little bit of give 
from each side," adding that he would stay as long as necessary 
if the parties demonstrated a desire for concrete negotiations. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Asking for views from the diplomatic chiefs of mission 
(whom he called "objective observers"), Masire heard from Irish 
Ambassador Paddy Fay, acting dean of the corps, who offered 
international community support for the SADC mediation effort. 
Fay emphasized that dialogue between the GOL and the opposition 
was essential in order to avoid violence.  U.S. Embassy Charge 
observed that while dialogue was vital, it should not supplant 
the role of the courts, given various legal aspects to the 
electoral impasse and the growing independence of the judiciary. 
 Charge also noted that some political leaders had accused the 
governing party of manipulating the Mixed Member Proportional 
(MPP) Election model, but in fact both the governing party and 
the opposition had used loopholes and dubious alliances to 
maximize legislative seats, equally undermining the spirit of 
the model. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The South African High Commissioner, speaking as "a 
SADC member and neighbor of Lesotho," urged President Masire to 
"put down markers" with the political parties by insisting that 
they look forward and not attempt to retroactively undo election 
results.  (Note: In a meeting among Chiefs of Mission on June 
12, the South African noted that Prime Minister Mosisili will 
make an official state visit to South Africa on June 19, where 
SA President Mbeki will "raise as a priority the domestic 
political situation in Lesotho and demand to know what the GOL 
is doing to resolve it."  End Note.)  The UN Resident 
Coordinator told Masire that there is a "sense of urgency" to 
resolve the impasse, saying "We don't think the political 
leaders want to destroy the country, but an unresolved impasse 
puts the country at risk."  The European Commission Charge 
echoed the sense of urgency, informing Masire that the public's 
fundamental misunderstanding of the complex MMP model was a 
partial source of the impasse. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Responding to the diplomats, Masire said that he would 
appeal to the political leaders to keep the best interests of 
Lesotho in mind.  "If the ship sinks," he said, "everyone on 
board sinks - and the political parties must come to understand 
this."  He acknowledged that expectations are high for SADC "to 
come up with something" to help resolve the impasse.  "I may 
 
MASERU 00000350  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
need you (diplomatic community) to come to my rescue," he 
concluded, "but I'm optimistic that we can find a solution." 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) The UN Resident Coordinator, Hodan Haji-Mohamud, told 
Chiefs of Mission after the briefing with Masire that she had 
been approached by Tom Thabane, head of the leading opposition 
party ABC.  Thabane said that he had accepted the LCD election 
victory, but would not endorse the SADC report or the dialogue 
effort because the report did not insist on a role for 
international election experts to propose changes to Lesotho's 
MMP election model and validate the allocation of legislative 
seats.  The UNRC said that Thabane, claiming that the Tanzanian 
President had stripped these elements from a draft version of 
the Troika report, insisted that the international experts be 
part of the equation before the ABC would enter into a direct 
dialogue. 
 
Comment:  Restoring Faith, Falling Short 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Former President Masire's arrival in Lesotho, a mere 
two days after delivery of the Troika's report calling for 
dialogue, is viewed locally as an important step in helping to 
resolve an impasse which has at times threatened to devolve into 
violence, if not paralysis of the parliamentary government.  His 
packed schedule of consultations has also restored faith in the 
SADC process, which had deteriorated during the two months it 
took for the Troika to produce its report.  Masire's cautious 
approach to actual mediation, however, while prudent, may fall 
short of a broad consensus among local observers that the 
impasse will persist unless the parties finally agree to sit 
down and talk face-to-face.  End Comment. 
MURPHY