Keiso Mohloboli
ALLIANCE of Democrats (AD) and Deputy Prime Minister, Monyane Moleleki, says his party is expecting more legislators and other prominent members of the opposition Democratic Congress (DC) to defect to them.
Mr Moleleki said this while officially opening AD’s elective conference at Lesotho High School in Maseru yesterday. The conference ends tomorrow.
His remarks follow the recent defection by former DC legislator, Mothepu Mahapa, who defected to the AD last week and was immediately rewarded with an appointment as Deputy Minister of Education.
The Member of Parliament for Semena constituency, Tlohelang Aumane, was the first to defect from the DC to the AD in July 2017 and he was instantly appointed Minister of Development Planning.
Comparing his party to a brood parasite, Mr Moleleki yesterday told his supporters that he already had names of prominent DC members who were ready to defect to the AD.
“Lately, the AD epitomises a bird snatching feathers from other birds to form a distinctive party,” Mr Moleleki said.
“There are more DC feathers to be snitched by the AD. You should all mark this day as one of the important days because even if I don’t announce the names of DC MPs and important members here, at least I have informed you to expect more to come and join our party.
“It will be premature for me to say out their names right away because discussions between me and them are at an advanced stage,” Mr Moleleki said, adding that all party supporters must not rest until the AD has grown into the biggest political party in the country.
He said he worked hard to win over new members to the extent of meeting his targets at night.
Turning to the elective conference, the first the party is holding since it was formed in December 2016, Mr Moleleki advised the party faithful against electing any of Mokhele Moletsane, Mahali Phamotse and Thuso Litjobo to the post of secretary general. He said while any one of the three was suitable for the post, their election would however, cause divisions among their supporters which could weaken the party.
“All these three are my handiwork because I am the one who politically mentored them when they joined politics more than 11 years ago. I know their capabilities and flaws. I therefore, advise you not to elect one and let the other two fall. It is your choice at the end of the day but please make sure that you don’t make decisions that you will regret later,” he said.
He however, said they could be elected to other positions within the national executive committee.
He also took the opportunity to clarify that his call for a Government of National Unity (GNU) was not meant to undermine the current coalition arrangement with Prime Minister, Thomas Thabane’s All Basotho Convention (ABC) as well as the Basotho National Party and the Reformed Congress of Lesotho.
He said before his defection from the DC in December 2016, he and Dr Thabane signed an agreement in Bethlehem, South Africa where they agreed to form a government led by the ABC, DC and other political parties.
Under that 2016 pact, Mr Moleleki was supposed to head a coalition government for the first 18 months after the removal of the then Pakalitha Mosisili-led government from power. Dr Thabane was supposed to have taken over after 18 months. However, this did not happen after a 1 March 2017 no confidence vote against the Mosisili administration led to the 3 June 2017 polls which ushered in a new government with Thabane at the helm and Mr Moleleki as his deputy.
“Every time I speak of GNU, I will basing on that agreement which has not been cancelled even after I defected from DC to form the AD.
“However, I want to assure you all that the coalition government is firm and stable and that we won’t backstab this government or leave it,” Mr Moleleki said yesterday.
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