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Mosisili snubs inauguration speech

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Out going Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili

’Marafaele Mohloboli

GOVERNMENT secretary, Lebohang Ramohlanka has defended former Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili’s controversial decision to forego delivering speech during the Friday’s inauguration ceremony where he handed over power to his rival, Thomas Thabane, saying it was not mandatory for the outgoing premier to speak.

Dr Mosisili handed over power to Dr Thabane at a ceremony at Setsoto Stadium in Maseru after the latter’s All Basotho Convention (ABC) party emerged the biggest winner in the snap 3 June national elections that were held in the aftermath of the 1 March no confidence vote that was passed by the then-opposition on the seven parties’ coalition government headed by the former.

ABC garnered 47 constituency seats and one proportional representation (PR) seat, bringing their total to 48. The ABC also won three constituencies in which the candidates died before the elections.

The ABC subsequently combined its 48 seats with the AD’s nine, BNP’s five and the RCL’s one, enabling them to pass the 61-seat threshold required to form government in the 120-seat National Assembly.

Dr Mosisili’s Democratic Congress obtained 26 constituency seats and four PR seats and former Deputy Prime Minister Metsing’s Lesotho Congress for Democracy obtained one constituency seat and 10 PR seats.

And on Friday, Dr Mosisili refrained from speaking at Dr Thabane’s inauguration and this was reportedly because he feared being booed by the pro-government supporters at the stadium.

Government secretary Ms Ramohlanka yesterday came to Dr Mosisili’s defence, saying “there is nothing sinister with the fact that the PM did not deliver a speech as expected”.

“This is just practice and it’s usually done by choice as it’s not binding by the law.

“This was just a choice that he made so that the full focus and the limelight are rightfully placed on the incoming Prime Minister,” Ms Ramohlanka said.

Previous transitions involving Dr Mosisili and Dr Thabane have seen both deliver speeches.

Political analyst Holo ’Nyane also said there was nothing wrong with the ex-premier’s actions.

“It would have been an issue if there was a stand-off between the two over the transition of power.

“However on this particular occasion it is worth noting that the out-going prime minister chose not to deliver a speech and he did not breach any law in so doing. It is just a matter of practice and not law.”

He gave the example of the United States, saying, “Immediately after the handover, the out-going leader leaves the ceremony before it even ends”.

“He totally varnishes from the equation and to some people that would like he is being sidelined, and yet that is not the case.

“Ntate Mosisili was just there to ensure a smooth transition; otherwise he should be in the background as he chose to do,” he said.

 

 

 

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