. . . as ABC, AD accused of spreading rumours
Staff Writer
THE Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) has laid the blame for persistent rumours of its merger with the Democratic Congress (DC) on opposition parties, saying it was part of their strategy to confuse congress movement supporters ahead of the 3 June 2017 parliamentary elections.
LCD spokesperson Teboho Sekata has pinpointed his Alliance of Democrats (AD) counterpart, Teboho Lehloenya, and All Basotho Convention (ABC) stalwart Majoro Mohapi as the “chief culprits” in disseminating the rumours at the instigation of their party leaders.
Mr Sekata has also claimed the opposition parties were using an audio application that could mimic human voices to spread recordings purportedly by him to “sow confusion in the congress movement”.
However, Mr Lehloenya, Mr Mohapi and ABC spokesperson Tefo Mapesela have scoffed at the allegations, saying their parties were focused on canvassing votes for the upcoming polls “and had no time nor interest” in the congress alliance’s activities.
Rumours have been swirling on social media that the DC and LCD had agreed to merge and form the United Congress Movement (UCM) under the leadership of LCD leader, Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing after next month’s polls.
The rumours, which were posted on various social media platforms under the title “The secret has been revealed” also stated that Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili had agreed to step down as DC leader after the elections. Dr Mosisili’s deputy in the DC, Mathibeli Mokhothu, had been earmarked to deputise Mr Metsing in the UCM, according to the claims.
However, officials in the DC and LCD have emphatically denied the rumours, saying they were being peddled by the parties’ opponents to sow confusion in light of their electoral pact.
The agreement, which also includes the Popular Front for Democracy (PFD), is meant to avoid vote splitting by the congress parties.
Under the agreement, the DC will contest in 54 constituencies while the LCD was allocated 25 in the National Assembly elections.
The parties will also vote for PFD leader, Lekhetho Rakuoane, in his Qalo stronghold in Butha-Buthe.
Dr Mosisili’s Political and Economic Adviser, Dr Fako Likoti, yesterday underscored that the DC and LCD would remain separate parties under the agreement in an interview with the Sunday Express.
“The DC and LCD agreed to this electoral pact because they work harmoniously together,” he said.
“But that does not mean they are merging. They will remain separate parties even after next month’s elections which we are confident they will win the most seats.”
Mr Sekata also told this publication the rumours were being peddled by the ABC and AD in general and Messrs Lehloenya and Mohapi in particular to confuse congress supporters.
“Ntate Lehloenya and Ntate Mohapi are at the forefront of spreading lies about this so-called UCM which does not exist to demoralise our supporters ahead of the elections,” the LCD publicist said.
“They are spreading these lies at the behest of their leaders who thrive on misinforming the electorate.”
Mr Sekata has also claimed the opposition parties were using an audio application that could mimic human voices to spread recordings meant to “sow confusion in the congress movement”.
“We have it on good authority that they will intensify their campaign of disinformation this coming week in their desperate bid to tarnish our image ahead of the elections.
“They are so desperate that they have resorted to devious tactics of manipulating our voices to create recordings meant to sow confusion in the congress movement.”
Mr Sekata said it was not the first time a “campaign of misinformation” was unleashed against the LCD, adding that AD leader Monyane Moleleki also “spread lies” that Mr Metsing had pleaded with Dr Mosisili to join forces ahead of the 26 May 2012 elections.
“When Ntate Moleleki was still DC deputy leader, he spread lies that Ntate Metsing ran to Ntate Mosisili’s house early in the morning to plead with him to join forces with only a week to go before the elections,” he said.
“Those rumours demoralised LCD supporters who were angry that Ntate Metsing would want to form an electoral pact with Ntate Mosisili soon after his acrimonious exit from the LCD.”
Dr Mosisili had been LCD leader from 1998 before jumping ship in 2012 to form the DC. The LCD eventually stitched together a governing coalition with the AD and Basotho National Party after the election resulted in a hung parliament.
However, Mr Lehloenya laughed off Mr Sekata’s claims as “outright nonsense”, saying the LCD spokesperson should present evidence of the misinformation campaign.
“Ntate Sekata’s claims are outright nonsense to say the least, because we have no interest in what the DC and LCD are doing as individual parties or jointly,” he said.
“Our interest is to make sure we dislodge them from power through the upcoming elections and not through the devious means they are alleging. In any case, where is the evidence for his claims?”
Mr Mapesela echoed the sentiment, saying the ABC was not interested in the affairs of the DC and LCD.
“The goings www.buy-trusted-tablets.com on in the DC and LCD are the least of our concerns because we are focused on ensuring a resounding victory in the elections,” he said.
“It is none of our business if the DC and LCD want to merge or not. They are going downhill whichever way.”
For his part, Mr Mohapi expressed surprise at the allegation he was at the forefront of the misinformation campaign, saying he arrived home on Thursday from Durban, South Africa where he had gone to monitor the printing and transporting of the ballots for next month’s polls.
“I am very disappointed with Mr Sekata for implicating me in something I have not been involved in at all,” he said.
“However, I have read on various social media platforms rumours about this DC-LCD merger but I have never commented.
“In my view, their electoral pact has doomed both parties because they won’t be able to generate enough proportional representation seats to form government. But that is their problem, not ours.”