Lesotho opposition parties said on Thursday they had asked the electoral commission to start a legal process in a move to get 21 members of Parliament removed from their seats, local media reported.
The legal bid is the latest twist in a dispute over the 2007 election, in which the opposition says the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) wrongly awarded the 21 seats to the ruling alliance.
Three of the seats in question are held by Cabinet ministers.
Majara Molapo, spokesperson of the opposition Basotho National Party, said if the IEC fails to review the contested seats, opposition parties will campaign for international intervention.
”We will engage the African Union, United Nations, the Commonwealth and all the embassies in the country to notify them of the state of affairs,” Molapo said, according to local media.
Regional leaders in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) had assigned former Botswana president Ketumile Masire to mediate in the dispute.
Last week, Masire abruptly ended his mediation, citing lack of cooperation from the government and the ruling party.
His brief report appeared to side with the opposition, indicating the allocation of seats had not been correctly calculated.
Lesotho on Tuesday ruled out further talks on the dispute, with Communication Minister Mothetjoa Metsing saying ”it is a closed chapter”. — Sapa-AFP