Former Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane to step down as leader of the All Basotho Convention
Former Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane will step down today as the leader of the governing All Basotho Convention (ABC).
Thabane formed the centrist ABC in 2006, after stepping away from the Lesotho Congress for Democracy. The ABC has been embroiled in political controversy and internal division since its establishment, causing chronic instability in the country and the prospect of a fiscal cliff.
In the short-term, expect current Prime Minister and deputy leader of ABC Moeketsi Majoro to secure the party chair.
In September or October this year, Lesotho will hold elections for all 120 lower seats of its National Assembly among the ABC, the Democratic Congress led by Pakalitha Mosisili and the Lesotho Congress for Democracy led by Mothetjoa Metsing.
However, since Lesotho’s 2022 national elections will be its third in just six years, there is uncertainty around the electoral budget to be allocated by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
Further, five Lesotho constituencies are currently without any representatives due to the deaths of their leaders. Due to the absence of commissioners and concerns over the spread of COVID-19, the IEC has stalled the country’s by-elections but expects them to be held next year along with local elections.
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