Mahao takes swipe at Majoro-Mokhothu for dodging elections
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By Mamello Mosaefane
Basotho Action Party (BAP), leader Nqosa Mahao has launched an accused Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro and his Deputy Mathibeli Mokhothu of undermining constitution requirements for holding by-elections.
Majoro’s administration denied Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) funding for holding much-delayed by-elections for local government and national assembly.
Following a Wednesday this week meeting at the IEC with political parties’ leaders Professor Mahao said Majoro’s administration’s decision to deny IEC funds for the by-elections was unconstitutional and regrettable.
Mahao said IEC revealed at their meeting that by-elections for five constituencies whose legislators died, with one—Qacha’s Nek legislator Pontšo Matumelo Sekatle—resigning, will not be held due to lack of funds.
He accuses Majoro of prioritizing things that are less important while rejecting those that are constitutionally binding.
“The M20 million used for changing number plates could have been used for the holding of by-elections.
“Rather government dedicated it to something that could have waited as there is no pressure, nor urgency on change of number plates symbols from code of arms to Basotho Hat symbol now,” said Mahao.
Mahao also said he suspects Majoro and his allies rushed to change number plates as a means for the ruling parties to swindle the public purse in order to collect funding for the 2022 general elections campaigns.
“We heard there was corruption in the awarding of a tender for change of plate numbers, as it is mostly the case with tender awards,” he said.
Mahao said the money is always availed for unimportant things that could wait, but always unavailable for much important national issues.
The government’s negligence on the handling of the by-elections issue is according to Mahao owing to ruling All Basotho Convention’s fear of losing the by-elections and its ally’s Democratic Congress’s opposition to the constituency delimitation.
