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Investigating Intra-Party Democracy in Lesotho

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Investigating Intra-Party Democracy in Lesotho EISA OCCASIONAL PAPER NUMBER 39, December 2005 Introduction In any democracy, political parties form a critical pillar for the entrenchment of democratic culture and practice. This means, among other things, that for parties to add value to democratisation at national level, they ought to embrace and institutionalise internal democracy. Since they play a crucial role in the democratic process, “it is also incontrovertible that political Investigating Intra-party parties are the key to the institutionalisation and consolidation Democracy in Lesotho: of democracy. Thus, sustainable Focus on Basutoland Congress democracy is dependent upon well- Party and Basotho National functioning and effective political Party parties” (Matlosa and Sello 2005, vii). This paper looks at the role of political parties and the extent to which they By have embraced and institutionalised Fako Johnson Likoti internal democracy. Further more, the paper probes the extent to which parties then promote the consolidation of democracy. Functions of Political Parties A political party can be construed as a group of people who share a common conception of how and why state ISBN: 1-920095-52-7 power and resources should be ISSN: 1811-7449 organised and utilised. Political parties, © EISA, 2005 unlike other social groups, are organised and have a structural formation. They not only seek to influence government policy, but also to replace the government in power through elections and thereafter control and implement national policies. Dearlove (2000) argues that parties recruit people to form their support base and socialise candidates to party - 1 - EISA OCCASIONAL PAPER NUMBER 39, December 2005 ethics so that the party can be seen to geographical area, ethnicity or region work together in a principled fashion. but representing the nation as a whole. Political parties form the source from This was very important in countries which the appointment of people to such as Nigeria, whereby the framers positions of power on various state of the 1979 constitution argued that, levels is effected. Political parties for the purpose of 1979 elections a aggregate diverse interests from political party society. They collect sets of interests in ...could only be registered if it…to order to produce a common policy. satisfy the Federal Electoral Similarly, while serving their Commission that it was not an grassroots supporters they also educate association confined to a part only of them politically. This is done by the geographical area of Nigeria; its highlighting social problems to the headquarters had to be in the federal masses and outlining their approaches capital and its executive committee had as to how they will deal with these to reflect Nigeria’s Federal character problems and thus better the life of (Tordoff 1997, 120). citizens. Therefore, in trying to solve these problems for a common political The lack of intra-party democracy is platform, parties aggregate the interests likely not only to weaken parties and give weight to them as election internally, but may adversely influence issues. The parties ‘sell’ these interests their effectiveness in driving by articulating them to the wider democracy nationally, especially in populace as an election programme or emergent democracies such as manifesto. They give wide expression Lesotho. to political and social interests that would have otherwise remained Role of Political Parties private. For this process they use the media and public gatherings. One of the cardinal pillars of democracy is pluralism and multiparty Political parties mobilise people and competition. Political parties in structure the popular vote by providing democracies compete for state power a wide menu of choices at elections for through regular elections to further voters to support their individual their goals (Vanhanen 1997). While candidates. By mobilising people to a the media depicts parties as disciplined political issue, they legitimise the associations, the reality is far different election process and stabilise the (Crew 1993), as they are formed by political order. Conventionally every people with diverse interests. They elected government is first supported often protest or quit if they perceive by a political party that shape its that their interests have not been met. policies. Parties provide the link They are characterised by personal between the citizens and the state and rivalries, ideological divisions and thus make representative, responsible tensions between the leadership and and responsive government a reality. grassroots supporters. In fact parties They serve the dual function of are uneasy coalitions (Crew 1993). representation and government (Dearlove 2000). Nevertheless, political parties play a salient role in and constitute a vital In most African countries, political element of a democracy. In fact, the parties play a legitimising role for the fundamental purpose of political party that won elections held in free parties and party system is to provide a and fair conditions Parties must have a stable pattern of expectation, activities robust democratic culture not based on and behaviour for the peaceful change - 2 - EISA OCCASIONAL PAPER NUMBER 39, December 2005 of government from one faction of the demonstrated in most political circles ruling class to another or from one set in Lesotho. The fight was between the of individuals within the ruling class to two factions of the BCP. The pro- another (Nnoli 1986, 139). Prime Minister faction, “Majelathoko” (those-who-eat-apart) (Matlosa 1999) In order to live up to this expectation, and the pro-Deputy Prime Minister political parties must be democratic. faction popularly known as “the pressure group.” The party fought The Consequences of Lack of Intra- numerous court cases over the results Party Democracy of executive committee elections. The High Court of Lesotho became the The consequences of a lack of intra- gallery for these events (CIV/APN/84, party democracy are many and vary 96, CIV/APN/1/97, CIV/APN/75/97), within each party. A lack of intra-party (Sekatle 1997, Pule 1997). democracy within major parties in Lesotho has produced undesirable On 3 May 1996, Prime Minister Ntsu consequences for both the Basutoland Mokhehle removed members of the Congress Party (BCP) and the pressure group faction from the Basutoland National Party (BNP). Cabinet after protracted infighting with his faction, “Majelathoko” (Matlosa The BCP 1998). This faction was opposed to the The Basutoland Congress Party has, perceived undemocratic nature of the since its inception in 1952, always party in dealing with the election of been riddled with protracted internal office bearers. Among the most power struggles. The 1960s saw protracted of these conflicts, which prominent BCP leaders being expelled came to the fore and precipitated the or resigning from the party executive birth of Lesotho Congress for committee. Most of these competent Democracy (LCD) in 1997, was the leaders left the party because of incessant power struggle over the Mokhehle’s leadership and this “came membership of the BCP’s Executive after long disillusionment with Committee (NEC). Some these Mokhehle’s authoritarian mode of members were seen as sell-outs and as operation” (Weisfelder 1999, 44). This being too close to the BCP leader. This characteristic of the BCP leader was infighting culminated in the break up even more explicit during the of the BCP. December 1961 annual conference when Mokhehle, the BCP leader, On Monday, 9 July 1997, the Prime succeeded in amending the party Minister convened a press conference constitution and thus increasing his on the grounds of the National term of office from one to five years. Assembly and announced that he had Most importantly, however, he gained formed a new party to be known as power to suspend and expel party Lesotho Congress for Democracy. He members. This undemocratic tradition argued that, “because we have support was carried into the 1993 period. of the majority of parliamentarians, there will be no change of There is no party in Lesotho politics, government” (Pule 1999, 22). which has spent so much time and resources than the BCP fighting over This party was formed following a positions in the party. Immediately long-running dispute within the party after the BCP elections victory in concerning Mokhehle’s leadership. A 1993, intra-party conflict could not few years later, the election of another only be sensed but was clearly NEC within the ruling LCD was to - 3 - EISA OCCASIONAL PAPER NUMBER 39, December 2005 haunt the party yet again. On 14 The breakaway group “Lesiba”, now September 2001 the party experienced Lesotho Peoples Congress, were at yet another fragmentation (Matlosa pains to announce that “the train had 1999, Pule 1997). derailed” (meaning that the Prime Minister does not consult and work A breakaway group from the ruling with his cronies), and it was their LCD, the Lesotho Peoples Congress obligation to put the train back on track (LPC), brought to an end an (Nonyana 2001). They claimed that the extraordinary marriage of convenience government was becoming among the incompatible role players in increasingly dictatorial and the party leadership (Public Eye authoritarian. In most cases, the October 12–18). government had deliberately deviated from its electoral mandate and it was What is even more striking is the the LPC’s quest to put the Mokhehle similarity of events leading to the split. magic back (Public Eye October The main cause of the LPC break-up 2001). was the disputed results of the January 2001 National Executive Committee The issue of a derailed train cited by elections held at its annual conference. the new interim LPC leader clearly There was vitriolic bickering within indicates that Mokhehle’s personality members of LCD, which was cult is as strong as ever. In all their reminiscent of the pre-1997 June public gatherings, both LCP and LCD period that was also motivated by the invoke Mokhehle. The major blame for executive committee elections.
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