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Lesotho's Transition to Democratic Rule: an Era of "Fragile" Democracy

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Lesotho's Transition to Democratic Rule: an Era of LESOTHO'S TRANSITION TO DEMOCRATIC RULE: AN ERA OF "FRAGILE" DEMOCRACY BY CHELETE MONYANE SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF THE MASTER OF SOCIAL SCIENCE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE, IN THE SCHOOL OF POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL, HOWARD COLLEGE. JUNE 24 2005. LESOTHO'S TRANSITION TO DEMOCRATIC RULE: AN ERA OF "FRAGILE" DEMOCRACY BY CHELETE MONYANE SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF THE MASTER OF SOCIAL SCIENCE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE, IN THE SCHOOL OF POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL, HOWARD COLLEGE. JUNE 24 2005. TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration Acknowledgements . ~I>stract •..........•....••••..........•.......•.•.....••..••...•••..••.•....•••...•.....•..• 1 .. Abbreviations •.....•....•....•.....••.............•......•....•.••.•....•••.......•..•....11 Historical Time Line .........••..........•.....•.........•..•.•.....................•...iii Introduction .....................................•.........•..........•...................1 Chapter One ..............•.....................•...•..•.....••.•......••.•••...•....•... 12 Chapter Two .............................................................................32 2.1 Defining Democracy ........................... ... .. .......... .... ........... .......34 2.2 Electoral systems and Democracy ....................................... ... ...... 46 2.3 Conflict and Democratization .. .. ............ ............................ ........ 50 2.4 Understanding Transition to Democratic Rule ..................................... 54 2.5 Civilian control and Democracy ............... .................................... 58 2.6 The Importance of Tolerance in Democracy ................ .. ..................... 59 Chapter Three ....................................................................... · ... 62 Chapter Four................................................................•........... 83 Chapter Five .•......•...•.............................................•.....•........•..116 References •.......•••..•.....•••...•......•...•.......•.......••.•..••......•........... 126 APPEN'DICES ...•....•.•.•..........•......•........•..••........•...•.••.•.....•....••135 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: 1965 General Election for the National Assembly .................................... 13 Table 2: 1970 General Election for the National Assembly ............................................... 18 Table 3: Types of Electoral Systems and Representation .......................................47 Table 4: 1993 General Election for the National Assembly .................................... 63 Table 5: BCP National Executive Committees, 1991-1995 ...................•.................71 Table 6: 1998 General Election for the National Assembly .................................... 76 Table 7: Composition of Lesotho National Assembly using 4 Alternative Electoral Systems based on votes cast in 1998 .................•.....................................87 Table 8: Summary of Seat Allocation and Per Cent Votes and Seats in 2002 Elections in Lesotho under the MMP Model ...............•.......................................•.. 123 DECLARATION This dissertation represents original work by the author and has not been previously submitted in any other form to any University. Where use has been made of the work of others, this has been duly acknowledged and referenced in the text. SIGNED .. ... c:MI<'>;r'?, ... .. .... DATE ... 9!-.':f.1!lf~ ... .. .. ....... .... .... ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people have given their support, encouragement and motivational assistance to this academic endeavour. I would have preferred to thank them each one them individually were it practical to do so. The following, however, people were singularly helpful and deserve a mention. Professor Raphael de Kadt, my supervisor whom I depended on guidance throughout the study. Professor Margaret Lenta, who went through the editing of the study in its earlier stages and assisted with valuable criticisms, Professor Elklit, Department of Political Science, University of Aarhus, Denmark for his valuable comments and his knowledge on Lesotho's politics. I want to express my admiration to the School of Politics-University of Kwazulu­ Natal, which provided an opportunity to meet and gain from one of the most knowledgeable scholars on Lesotho's politics, Professor Weisfelder from University of Toledo, because of these individuals I have gained significant insight into Lesotho's political process. Finally, I express my admiration and thankfulness to Catherine Cebindevu, Program Administrator in the School of Politics, Leonard Letsepe, Darren Oddy, Tlali Pitsi, for challenging and encouraging me through the difficult times. I am also indebted to 'Makhojane Monyane, for the academic and financial assistance throughout my studies. The work could not have been complete had I not benefited from their guidance and friendship. ABSTRACT Many in Lesotho had hoped that the 1993 elections would restore democratic rule and establish the political stability that had eluded the country since independence. The post-1993 transition to democratic rule created more problems than was anticipated. The country gradually became involved in the devastating political crises that posed serious political implications for peace and stability (Gumbi, 1995:1). The primary objectives of this study are to disentangle the focal problems that faced Lesotho's re-established democratic dispensation after the 1993 elections and how these problems contributed to political instabilities until and after the 1998 election. The problems of the re­ established democratic dispensation and which undermined the process of democratic consolidation included the inability of the organs of the state to maintain law and order. There was an established culture within the army, the police and the National Security Services (NSS) which caused them to fail to offer adequate support to the fledging multiparty democracy in 1993.The principles of democracy and its institutions were poorly understood by Lesotho's political elite which was unable to accept the practical implications of the democratic system of governance. The BCP government was reluctant to reinstate the deposed King Moshoeshoe II and this hardened the relations between the government and the monarch. Ultimately, the monarchy and the Catholic Church became the political instruments that undermined the BCP-LCD governments. Society was highly polarized along political lines and there was a lack of political tolerance despite the homogeneous culture. The political crises were aggravated by the electoral model of FPTP after the 1993 and 1998 elections which denied the losing parties participation in decision-making because, the assumption of governmental power is seen as the most reliable source of economic power. There was an absence of interrelated national policies to consolidate the country's young democracy whilst the youth constituency rising unemployment levels was ignored. There has been a persistent mutual suspicion and distrust between the leaders due to the absence of political leadership with competence, integrity and commitment to the long term vision of Lesotho. These violent confrontations among the political elites were goaded by the weaknesses of Lesotho's economy which does not have the potential to attain the demands of the population. This situation was worsened by the increasing levels of retrenchments of migrant laborers from the South Africa mines. There has been a problem on lack of internal democracy which has hindered the consolidation of democracy. The study concludes with an application of Huntington's thesis that there is high level of political mobilization and participation in Lesotho whilst political institutionalization lags behind (1968:2).Though elections are regarded as the pinnacle of democracy, the 1993 and 1998 elections in Lesotho did not make any significant development in the consolidation of democracy. In fact, they deepened the political differences that had been in existence since independence. The country is now "caught" between the process of democratic transition and consolidation. ABBREVIATIONS BCP-Basutoland Congress Party. BNP-Basutoland (Basotho) National Party. COP-Christian Democratic Party. CPL-Communist Party of Lesotho. IPA- Interim Political Authority. HBP- Hare Eeng Basotho Party. LCD- Lesotho Congress for Democracy. LCNO-Lesotho Council of Non-Governmental Organizations. LEP- Lesotho Education Party. LLA- Lesotho Liberation Army. LLP- Lesotho Labour Party. MFP-Marematlou Freedom Party. NIP-National Independent Party. NPP-National Progressive Party. NSS- National Security Services KBP- Kopanang Basotho Party. PFD- Popular Front for Democracy. PMU- Police Mobile Unit. SDC- Sefate Democratic Congress. SDU- Sefate Democratic Union. UDP- United Democratic Party. 11 HISTORICAL TIME LINE "EMBROYNIC" DEMOCRACY 1965-70 1965 Pre-independence elections in Basutoland (which became Lesotho after independence) are won by the Basutoland National Party (BNP). The country is divided into sixty-five constituencies under the electoral model of 'First Past The Post' (FPTP). The BNP wins thirty-one seats whilst the Basutoland Congress Party (BCP) wins twenty­ five seats and Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP) wins four seats. 1966 Attainment of independence: Basutoland officially becomes Lesotho. The Thaba-Bosiu tragedy occurs, in which ten people are killed by the Police Mobile Unit (PMU) at the national fortress in the prayer for peace. AUTHORITARIAN RULE, 1970-86 1970
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