LEADING OPPOSITION PARTY BRIEFS U.S. AMBASSADOR AND DONORS;

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000260 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE AF/S E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM LT SUBJECT: LEADING OPPOSITION PARTY BRIEFS U.S. AMBASSADOR AND DONORS; LEADERSHIP LATER SUSPENDED FROM PARLIAMENT REF: MASERU 035 MASERU 00000260 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Ambassador met with General Metsing Lekhanya, the leader of the largest opposition party, the Basotho National Party (BNP),on Thursday May 18, 2006. He was accompanied by party Secretary General, Ranthomeng Matete. The meeting was held at the request of the BNP leadership, which wanted the Ambassador to intervene on their behalf against the impending action by the Speaker of National Assembly, Ntlhoi Motsamai following recommendations by the Parliamentary Privileges Committee to suspend the senior members of the BNP including the leader. Lekhanya gave a brief background on the Speaker's unilateral action to nominate a rebel BNP member to attend a Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum Meeting in Gaborone, Botswana without consulting the BNP leadership. The Ambassador stressed the need for dialogue in order to resolve this matter diplomatically not through political action but compromise. Based on donor information received May 31, it appears the BNP misrepresented development partners' recommendations for negotiations emphasis on compromise and their stated non-intervention stance. End Summary. Opposition Views Presented to USG -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) During the Embassy meeting, Lekhanya noted with concern that the impending action by Parliament, which is dominated by the ruling party, the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD),has no legal standing. He stressed that his party had not violated any parliamentary procedures by protesting against the Speaker's actions. (Note: In September 2005, the Speaker of Parliament (a member of the ruling party, LCD),nominated a rebel BNP Member of Parliament (MP) to attend a SADC Parliamentary Forum Meeting, which focused on the harmonization of the region's electoral laws. Outraged by this nomination, Lekhanya wrote a letter to the Speaker requesting her to reconsider the nomination and make proper consultations. The BNP leader was of the opinion that the Speaker's nominee did not meet the specification of the meeting, which required political parties in Parliament to send Secretaries General and Chief Whips, and the Speaker's nominee SIPDIS did not fall within that category. The Speaker did not reply to Lekhanya's letter. Subsequently, the BNP Youth League, took up the matter in a petition to the Speaker. According to Lekhanya, the petition was presented through a protest march permitted by police, who escorted the marchers to the Parliament, where the Clerk of the National Assembly duly received the petition. He said a couple of days after the petition, the Speaker responded by making a statement in the National Assembly. Among other things, she took the opportunity to reprimand the BNP leadership for writing letters to her complaining about various issues. She also referred to the petition by the Youth League. The Deputy Prime Minister who is also Leader of the House, Lesao Lehohla, moved a motion condemning the "BNP elements" responsible for the petition to the Speaker. The motion also referred the matter to the Committee on Privileges whose majority comprises of members of the LCD. End note. ¶3. (SBU) Although the committee's recommendations have not been made public, reliable sources indicate that on May 18, 2006, the Committee on Privileges recommended that the BNP leader be suspended from Parliament for ten (10) months, and the other senior party members (including the Secretary General, Treasurer and Youth League Chairman) for six (6) months. ¶4. (SBU) Lekhanya and Matete informed the Ambassador that neither the BNP Youth League nor party leadership itself violated any law or any existing code of ethics. Lekhanya indicated that presenting a petition is a democratic right. He warned that the Speaker's unilateral action set a dangerous precedent that desecrates the independence and integrity of political parties. General Lekhanya observed that the new multi-party dispensation in the National Assembly in still in its infancy, and needs to be nurtured. He added that his party is largely responsible for the peace and stability that prevails in the country today. The BNP leader pointed out that democratic expression is being sacrificed for political expediency and hidden agendas and the repercussions of this action may affect stability of the country and the 2007 national elections. Ambassador Emphasizes Open Dialogue -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) In response, the Ambassador, urged Lekhanya to seek dialogue with the Speaker or with the Leader of the House, who is also Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of the LCD. She MASERU 00000260 002.2 OF 002 emphasized that exchange of letters is good for the record but a face-to-face meeting with the Speaker would be more important and fruitful. Matete informed the Ambassador that the BNP's numerous requests to meet the Speaker or the LCD leadership have fallen on deaf ears hence, the need for the intervention of the Ambassador. The Ambassador stressed that a crucial step is being omitted by not giving dialogue a chance. She promised to consult with her colleagues in order to facilitate dialogue and provide pre-electoral traning. The Ambassador, the UN Resident Representative and the Irish Ambassador jointly counseled the opposition to seek a democratic, negotiated solution and also requested the GOL to seek same. (reftel) Parliamentary Response -------------- ¶6. (SBU) On May 31 2006, The National Assembly, after several days of debating whether to adopt or reject the recommendations of the Committee on Privileges, decided to suspend the BNP leadership. Before the National Assembly took a decision, the Leader of the House, Lesao Lehohla, who is Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs and Public Safety made a statement urging the House to take a tough stance against the BNP leadership. In his statement, Lehohla indicated that they had been getting information from outside the country "accusing " them of expelling Members from the House. (Comment: The Donor community's request was not for specific action, but to obtain the GOL's view point since only the opposition's had been brought to their attention. The Deputy Prime Minster was specifically advised by donors that the international community was not there to intervene in internal affairs, but to stress the necessity for dialogue and the democractic process as well as to ensure an atmosphere in which donors could function. He added that this was far from the truth. Lehohla also pointed out that the local diplomatic community questioned him about Members of Parliament who said they were due to be expelled and he asked where they had obtained such information. Donors indicated members of Parliament had called them. End Comment) He stressed that " in any case, the Parliament of Lesotho has the authority and sovereign rights to do as it pleases", and he was not the one to stop it. The leader of the BNP was suspended for ten (10) months without pay. The other senior members including Secretary General, Treasurer, Youth League Chairman and Party Second Whip, were suspended for six (6) months without pay. ¶7. (SBU) Comment: The suspension of senior members of the BNP from Parliament for up to ten (10) months, may be counter productive due to the possibility that the party may choose to withdraw all its members from the National Assembly. As the largest opposition party and a potential alternative to the incumbent government, this may have adverse effects of the stability of the country ahead of the national elections, which are scheduled to take place in May 2007. To some observers, this is merely a strategy by the ruling party to divide and weaken the biggest opposition party ahead of the elections. At the same time, it appears the BNP misrepresented its case to the Speaker suggesting donors supported their case - a completely false charge which was refuted by the UN Resident Representative in her June 01 exchange with the Speaker. Clarification of the parliamentary discussion is expected in the near future. Donors (and government) have agreed that further education of all political parties is essential over the coming months. The Prime Minister has requested such assistance for the country. PERRY