LESOTHO KICKS OFF NEPAD PEER REVIEW MECHANISM

UNCLAS MASERU 000579 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT ALSO FOR AF/S E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EAID KDEM LT SUBJECT: LESOTHO KICKS OFF NEPAD PEER REVIEW MECHANISM REF: (A) MASERU 514 (B) MASERU 458 ¶1. SUMMARY: Lesotho's Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on November 15 with South Africa's former Reserve Bank Governor Dr. Chris Stals, a member of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Panel of Eminent Persons, beginning a comprehensive assessment of conditions in Lesotho under the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD),which is expected to be delivered in March 2007. Addressing a packed audience at the 'M'anthabiseng Convention Center in Maseru, PM Mosisili appealed to Basotho from all walks of life to shelve their political differences and participate in the exercise as a way to promote good governance, a prerequisite for sustainable development. In his remarks, Dr. Stals commended Lesotho for its commitment to the tenets of NEPAD. In the current politicized environment in Lesotho, critics of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD)-led government may attempt to use the APRM process as an outlet to air their complaints and grievances. END SUMMARY. ¶2. On November 15 Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili signed a NEPAD MOU that will begin a voluntary assessment of Lesotho's political, socio-economic, and corporate conditions. Present at the ceremony were senior government officials, Members of Parliament, academics from the National University of Lesotho, church and trade union leaders, members of the private sector, leaders of non-governmental organizations, and members of the public who are keen to see how the process will be carried out, and if it will influence the nation's governance. ¶3. In his remarks, PM Mosisili appealed to Basotho from all walks of life to set aside their political differences and participate fully in the process, as the final report generated will form a baseline for future measurement of the country's governance. Observing that the exercise would be costly in both time and resources, the Prime Minister commended the UNDP for its support and called on it to rally other donors to make contributions towards to success of the effort. ¶4. In his remarks, Dr. Stals commended Lesotho for its commitment to the principles of NEPAD, as demonstrated by the nation's determination to prosecute international construction companies for bribery involving the Highlands Water Project. He pointed out that Lesotho had been one of the first AU members to contribute to the APRM Trust Fund which makes the review processes possible. Dr. Stals spoke of his long connection with Lesotho, dating back to his work as governor of South Africa's Reserve Bank to establish the Lesotho Loti as Lesotho's currency. ¶5. Lesotho's National Governing Council on the APRM is chaired by a member of Lesotho's Women in Law. Its members include a National University of Lesotho (NUL) sociologist and children's rights activist, a NUL lecturer in Development Studies, and the executive secretary of the Lesotho Council on Non-Governmental Organizations (LCN). Over the last two months, this council has toured Lesotho's ten districts to hold media interviews and public gatherings to sensitize the nation to the APRM process. ¶6. COMMENT: Despite assurances to the contrary by Dr. Stals, it seems likely that politics could play a role in Lesotho's APRM process, given the highly partisan pre-election atmosphere which currently pervades Lesotho. New and old political parties are already jockeying against a weakened governing LCD party (ref A),and the prospect of contributing to a public admonition of the LCD's tenure in office may prove too appealing to pass up. With a scandal over the acquisition of luxury cars by LCD ministers still in the headlines (ref B),opposition parties may feel that they have some good ammunition. END COMMENT. PERRY