/ 26 October 1999

LESOTHO ‘WON’T RUSH ELECTIONS’

THE Commonwealth will help Lesotho prepare its upcoming general election, which could be postponed to ensure it is well organised, an official said on Sunday after talks with political leaders. Commonwealth political affairs director Moses Anafu said that a formal agreement about the organisation’s role in the election, set for April, will be signed next month. At that time, a new date could be announced for the poll, said Anafu, adding that political leaders agreed that Lesotho “should not sacrifice efficiency and thoroughness for a rushed and speedy holding of elections.” The Ghanaian diplomat is in the capital, Maseru, for two weeks of talks with leaders of government and opposition parties.