Lesotho holds local polls
2005-04-30 22:06
Maseru - Voters in Lesotho were casting their ballots on Saturday in their first local elections since the tiny southern African kingdom gained independence from Britain in 1966.
Voters were to elect their representatives on 129 councils, with a third of the seats reserved for women.
However uncertainty over the role and powers of the new office bearers has taken some of the gloss off what should have been landmark polls. Turnout early on Saturday appeared very low at some polling stations in the capital Maseru and surrounding area.
Grassroots elections were first mooted in 1993 when the Basutoland Congress Party came to power after a series of military dictatorships during which local affairs were managed by Village Development Councils, comprising local chiefs and officials nominated by the government.
The idea of local elections was revived last year in a constitutional amendment, which also stipulated the share of seats for women to fall in line with southern African regional standards.
But there has been no excitement surrounding the polls in the absence of guidelines on the powers and role of the local representatives. No offices have been earmarked for them, nor will they have access to basic amenities such as telephones.
This has fuelled charges that the elections are merely a ploy by the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy to buttress its support base in remote rural areas.
"The ruling party only wants to extend its power base through these elections. That is why there are no regulations governing the implementation of local government councils," said Francis Makoa, dean of the political science department at the National University of Lesotho.
While not calling for a boycott of the vote, seven opposition parties have expressed scepticism over the exercise.
In theory the local councils will be responsible for education, water and sanitation, land distribution, health, taxes, farming, culture, crime prevention and trade.