The Ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) swept the board at the Lesotho general election after winning 77 of the 78 constituencies contested.
The LCD polled 304 316 votes, 54% of the total votes followed by its rival the Basotho National Party (BNP) with 124 234 votes (22%).
Polling at two other constituencies where two candidates died of natural causes before the election day will take place as soon as King Letsie III has appointed a date for fresh election in those constituencies.
The chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Leshele Thoahlane, said after submission of the last provisional results that the final results might be announced after the commission had examined all the original ballots from the various polling station on Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile the leaders of some opposition parties, which had been aggrieved over the results, have given notice of the intention to lodge an election petition in the Lesotho High Court.
The South African Council of Churches (SACC) on Wednesday congratulated the people of Lesotho on the successful completion of their general election.
Father Joe Mdhlela said the SACC trusted that Lesotho would now look forward to being part of the New Plan for Africa’s Development (Nepad).
The general secretary of the SACC, Dr Molefe Tsele, congratulated all stakeholders responsible for the successful election in Lesotho.
”We want to congratulate the electorate for going to the polls, the Independent Electoral Commission for the role they played in ensuring that the will of the people of Lesotho was expressed through the ballot box, and the Christian Council of Lesotho for being the voice and the conscience of the people in these difficult times,” said Tsele.
Head of the SACC Justice Ministries Eddie Makue, who was invited by the CCL to represent the SACC as part of the Observer’s Team, said: ”We salute the electorate of Lesotho for the commendable behaviour during the process leading up to the general election. Again the ordinary people of Lesotho have shown their commitment to peace.”
Makue said it was the expressed hope of the Christian Council of Lesotho and the SACC that Nepad would contribute to the establishment of regional peace, with justice and prosperity as the ”cornerstone of our democracies”. – Sapa