VZCZCXRO8419
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHRN
DE RUEHMR #0597/01 3092203
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 052203Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY MASERU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3435
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 3836

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000597 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR AF/S; GABORONE FOR RSO; 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ASEC LT
SUBJECT: LESOTHO: FRUSTRATED OPPOSITION RALLIES 
 
REF: A) MASERU 577; B) MASERU 500 
 
MASERU 00000597  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  On November 4, Lesotho's largest opposition 
political party, the All Basotho Convention (ABC), led an 
opposition rally in Maseru at which ABC leader (and former GOL 
minister) Thomas Thabane highlighted growing frustration with a 
SADC-led mediation process aimed at resolving a post-election 
impasse over the allocation of parliamentary seats.  While the 
primary tone of the peaceful ABC rally, which drew several 
thousand supporters, was one of impatience with the dialogue 
process, recent comments from Prime Minister Mosisili reflect 
that the GOL does not view mediation as leading to any changes 
to the allocation of seats.  The impasse, therefore, is likely 
to linger for the foreseeable future.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
----------- 
 
ABC Rallies 
 
----------- 
 
 
 
¶2. (U) Lesotho's opposition political parties, led by the All 
Basotho Convention (ABC), held a rally on November 4 in part to 
mark the first anniversary of the All Basotho Convention (ABC) 
as a political party.  Although several thousand party members 
and supporters participated, attendance appeared lower than 
previous rallies.  The peaceful event featured ABC Leader Thomas 
Thabane among other speakers and traditional musicians. 
 
 
 
¶3. (U) During his keynote speech, Thabane expressed frustration 
with stalled SADC mediation efforts in Lesotho, stating that 
SADC had become a club of leaders devoted to keeping each other 
in power. (Note: SADC, led by former Botswana President Masire, 
has engaged in a dialogue process in Lesotho aimed at resolving 
a protracted dispute over the allocation of seats following the 
country's February 2007 national election.  The dialogue has 
been on hold for several months, pending resolution of a related 
court case initially filed by an opposition party.  End Note.) 
 
 
 
¶4. (U) At the rally, Thabane also derided recent maneuvers by 
the Maseru City Council to remove street venders from urban 
roadsides; lambasted the Lesotho Defense Force for its role in 
"abductions" during a curfew in June; alleged that the 
diplomatic community supported the GOL despite human rights 
concerns raised by the opposition; and ridiculed unnamed members 
of his own party for attempting to sow dissent from within. 
 
 
 
---------------------- 
"If it Ain't Broke..." 
 
---------------------- 
 
 
 
¶5. (U) At a ceremony on October 29 to mark the opening of 
construction on Lesotho's new Chinese-financed Parliament 
building, Prime Minister Mosisili addressed opposition demands 
to reallocate proportional seats in parliament by stating that 
Lesotho's mixed member proportional (MMP) system is a well 
respected model that has served the country well since first 
implemented in 2002.  "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", said 
Mosisili, intimating that the GOL had no intention of 
negotiating changes to either the model or to results of the 
2007 election, which returned the governing LCD party to power. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
Where Will the Frustrations Lead? 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) COMMENT:  Opposition leaders, including the ABC's 
Thabane, told several members of the diplomatic corps on 
November 2 that the political opposition accepts the LCD's 
election victory and recognizes the governing party's leader, 
Mosisili, as Lesotho's legitimate Prime Minister.  The 
opposition, however, refuses to accept the allocation of 
 
MASERU 00000597  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
parliamentary seats, accusing the GOL of manipulating the MMP 
model with a dubious party alliance.  The dialogue process, even 
if it resumes, will pit a GOL unwilling to compromise on 
election results against an opposition, which also formed a 
similar alliance for the election, dissatisfied with anything 
short of a revision of seat allocation.  In true Lesotho 
political tradition, the impasse, therefore, is likely to linger 
for the foreseeable future.  END COMMENT. 
NOLAN