martysmith.org » election

Lesotho Election Stolen!!! (Legally?)

marty — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:21:02 +0000

Check out this post at Maseru Observer about how the proportional representation system was toyed with to give the LCD more seats than they had last time.

Do you declare an election fair that gives 70% of the seats to a party that only won 54% of them legitimately?

The article shows how the LCD and the ABC used secondary party names to skew the proportional representation equation. According to this article the LCD will walk away with 83 seats (out of 120) instead of 63 seats. The ABC ends up with 27 instead of 35 seats. Other parties get 10 instead of 22.

Gonna keep an eye on this one.

Lesotho Election Results

marty — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 14:19:49 +0000

Results are coming in from the IEC.

ABC: Butha-Buthe, Hlotse, Maputsoe, Likhetlane, Peka, Teya-Teyaneng, Berea, Mabote, Motimposo, Stadium Area, Maseru, Qoaling, Lithoteng, Lithabaneng, Abia, Maama, Mokhotlong

LCD: Hololo, Motete, Qalo, Maliba-Matso, Mphosong, Thaba-Phatšoa, Mahobong, Pela-Tšoeu, Matlakeng, Mohobollo, Tsikoane, Kolonyama, Mosalemane, Nokong, Bela-Bela, Malimong, Khafung, Pulane, Thupa-Kubu, Thaba-Bosiu, Machache, Koro-Koro, Rothe, Matsieng, Maletsunyane, Thaba-Phechela, Kolo, Thaba-Tšoeu, Maliepetsane, Matelile, Thabana-Morena, Likhoele, Qalabane, Mafeteng, Taung, Qhalasi, Mohale’s Hoek, Mekaling, Mpharane, Ketane, Hloahloeng, Tele, Moyeni, Sebapala, Mt. Moorosi, Qacha’s Nek, Lebakeng, Tsoelike, Semena, Malingoaneng, Senqu, Bobatsi, Mechachane

ACP: Seqonoka

Overall voter turnout seems to be coming in at 46-47%.

There are 80 directly contested seats. Currently ABC:17, LCD:53 and ACP: 1. It looks like the LCD is pulling out in front. According to this article from the International Herald Tribune, LCD: 27 seats and ABC: 13.

Stay tuned or updates throughout the day. All in all it seems that the election went well. SABC story here.

Lesotho Election Update

marty — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:00:26 +0000

I know that it has been a while since I have posted anything that actually had to do with Lesotho and the upcoming elections.
An article by Thabo Motlamelle on AND speaks to the speed (or lack thereof) of the new voting procedures that will be in effect for the election.

The single most serious threat to the Lesotho general election 2007 and its outcomes shall be the pace at which voters take to make their mark. If the processes adopted for polling during the advance polling, which took place today 13 February, are anything to go by, the elections may take much longer than the one day anticipated for polling.

Each polling station will on Saturday be allotted +-500 voters. If each voter takes on average 6 minutes to vote, we are looking at 3 000 minutes of voting, which translates into 50 hours and four 12 hour days plus 2 hours.

His figures sound a bit forced. Are none of the stations going to have more than one person at a time? Can’t these procedures take place concurrently? If the second part were true the number would be cut at least by a factor of three. Which makes it more like 16 hours in a worse case scenario.
I find it very hard to be straight on this election. It would appear that change is coming to Lesotho and, to me at least, the only question is how well the change will happen.

Check out some photos of the latest ABC rally here. If the heated debate at the Lesotho forum at Topix.net can be believed, then perhaps things look good for the ABC.

BBC if it was not because of transport shortage on the side of ABC, the attendance of the rally that you saw at SETHALENG could have been even more what you witnessed. The fact that LCD has access to the taxpayers money they hired a lot of transport to collect all their members and supporters around the country. This means that what bbc saw at the LCD rally yesterday represented something like 90% of the total LCD support. However what bbc saw at the ABC rally represented only 30% of the ABC members, because of transport shortage e.g in Mohale’s Hoek.