Lesotho Votes

Registered voters in the Kingdom of Lesotho voted in democratic elections on June 3, 2017. The people participated in Lesotho’s third general election since 2012.

The results are in! In what was largely viewed as a two-horse-race from the beginning, former Prime Minister Thomas Thabane (All Basotho Congress-ABC) won 48 parliamentary seats while another former Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili (Democratic Congress-DC) won 30 seats.

It is being reported that the victor Thabane and the ABC will form a coalition government to create a majority in the 120 member Parliament that will include the Alliance of Democrats (AD), Basotho National Party (BNP) and Reformed Congress of Lesotho (RCL).

The elections are being hailed by locals and observers as peaceful. Cyril Ramaphosa, the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa stated “The holding of democratic elections in the Kingdom of Lesotho underlines the determination of the people of the region and the continent to ensure good political and economic governance as part of the building blocks towards the renewal of the continent.”

Electoral Services International Inc. (ESI) provided Lesotho’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) with indelible ink markers for the election. ESI is proud to call the IEC its partner and wish them much success in their future democratic electoral endeavors.