LESOTHO: LCD HOLDS PEACEFUL MARCH TO DEMONSTRATE UNITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000265

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR AF/S

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KDEM PREL PGOV LT
SUBJECT: LESOTHO: LCD HOLDS PEACEFUL MARCH TO DEMONSTRATE UNITY

REF: MASERU 258 AND PREVIOUS

MASERU 00000265 001.2 OF 002



1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In order to demonstrate unity in the face of
political opposition rhetoric and allegations of intra-party
differences (reftel),the governing Lesotho Congress for
Democracy (LCD) party held a march and rally in Maseru on
Sunday, May 6 attended by an estimated three thousand
supporters. Prime Minister Mosisili addressed the peaceful
gathering with a message of party unity. The following day,
Lesotho's Deputy Prime Minister privately called the recent
silence of opposition figures "unsettling." Meanwhile,
political parties continue to wait for the Southern African
Development Community's (SADC) much anticipated report on
opposition complaints regarding the February 2007 general
elections. END SUMMARY.



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A Peaceful and Sizable Show of Unity

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2. (U) The governing Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) party
held a peaceful march and rally in Maseru on Sunday, May 6. The
rally, intended to display the party's unity and public support
for the LCD, was attended by Prime Minister Mosisili, several
GOL Ministers, and other senior members of LCD. The Prime
Minister's address at the rally specifically aimed to strengthen
public perceptions of cohesiveness among top officials of the
GOL.




3. (U) The LCD transported substantial numbers of supporters
from outside Maseru, an opposition stronghold, to the peaceful
and well organized rally in the capital. Observers estimated
that supporters numbered between three and four thousand.
Stressing that the party leadership is united and its support
base intact, Mosisili told supporters that rumors of intra-party
strife were intended to foment disunity which did not actually
exist.



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Comments from the DPM

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4. (SBU) The day after the rally, Deputy Prime Minister Lehohla
told Ambassador Perry and the DCM that the march and rally were
"well attended and peaceful" and achieved their objective of
demonstrating unity among party members and showing broad
support for the LCD leadership. He said that only the Prime
Minister and a representative of the LCD-aligned National
Independent Party (NIP) addressed the crowd. Regarding the
post-election political impasse between the governing party and
the opposition, the DPM said that the lull in opposition
rhetoric over recent weeks was "unsettling," observing that
"when the dogs stop barking in the compound, you know that real
trouble is afoot."



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SADC Silence, Campaign Continues?

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5. (SBU) COMMENT: The LCD rally comes at a time when the SADC
Secretariat and the SADC Troika Chair (Tanzania) have remained

SIPDIS
conspicuously silent past April 30, the date by which Lesotho's
opposition parties expected their election-related grievances to
be addressed (reftel). Opposition parties now say they
anticipate the Executive Secretary of SADC will speak on
Lesotho's political situation o/a May 13. Tellingly, the
large-scale political rallies regularly held by governing and
opposition parties show a nation still in the tumult of election
season. With the polling now three months past, the opposition
continues its attempts to address grievances associated with the
distribution of legislative seats, while the LCD and the GOL

MASERU 00000265 002.2 OF 002


state they are keen to put the issue behind them and resume
governing. END COMMENT.
PERRY