BAP has lost confidence in government

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BAP has lost confidence in government
BAP has lost confidence in government

Africa-PressLesotho. Opposition Basotho Action Party (BAP) has thrown its weight behind backers of a parliamentary motion to collapse Prime Minister Dr Moeketsi Majoro’s government, accusing him of being weak, without vision and capacity to hold anyone accountable.

They further allege Majoro has been captured by a clique of his party cronies and is connected to a lot of corruption in the country. BAP was addressing a press conference held on Wednesday this week where the party announced its stance on the motion of no confidence recently tabled in the National Assembly against Majoro and his government.

The motion was moved by legislator Tefo Mapesela, who leads the similarly nascent Basotho Patriotic Party (BPP) and seconded by Kose Makoa of the Alliance of Democrats (AD). The motion proposes AD leader, Monyane Moleleki, as the next prime minister.

On September 7 Mapesela and Makoa moved for another motion proposing for voting through a secret ballot on the vote of no confidence in the government and Prime Minister Majoro. Despite declaring lack of confidence in Majoro’s government, the BAP also said it does not support the motion to unseat him as prime minister.

The party said it is a political party guided by its own principles when dealing with national issues, and these include clean government and a capable state, government instructed by the rule of law and striving for a productive and inclusive economy.

The party’s Communications Officer, Motlatsi Maqelepo, asserted during the same conference that the motion of no confidence against the prime minister would not in any way help the country achieve any of the said principles that the BAP stands for and believes are the cornerstone to resolving the problems that Lesotho is facing.

“We have learnt who the motion proposes to take over from Majoro, and who the preferred candidate works with.

All these plant doubt that Majoro’s ouster is really meant to rescue the nation from bad governance. “If the motion is carried and is moved in parliament, the 10 BAP parliamentarians will abstain from voting.

They will not support that Majoro be removed from office, but we do not have confidence in him considering his shortcomings as the prime minister of the country.

“We have learnt and closely observed his leadership.

He is a prime minister with no vision, he is a weak prime minister who has no capacity to hold anyone accountable, he is beholding to his cronies, he is captured and he is featured in a lot of corruption,” Maqelepo said.

He, however, noted that even so, they believe that Majoro is still better compared to those fighting to topple him so that they can take over. BAP said they know the contenders and their capabilities when in power.

“Therefore, the BAP urges parliamentarians that are really tired of Majoro’s government to remember that Basotho are the only ones who have the right to choose who to govern them.

“We encourage parliamentarians to come together and form the two thirds majority and force the prime minister to advise the King to close the parliament and call for elections in three months rather than turning the government into a playground for politicians who do not have Basotho’s interests at heart.

“We ask that whatever problems the country is facing be resolved by Basotho through elections,” he continued.

He further noted that it is not wise to change the government without involving Basotho through elections further pointing out that even if the government was to be changed, the country only has nine months left before the 2022 elections and there is not enough time for any new government to make an impact.

The leader of BAP, Professor Nqosa Mahao, speaking at the same event on some of the illegal dealings that he claimed Majoro features in dominantly, called on the media to investigate the formation of the now defunct Covid–19 National Emergency Command Centre and its successor the NACOSEC.

He said investigations should also conducted on the dealings of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and that findings will reveal that Majoro is yet featured in some illegal dealings.

Mahao further challenged journalists to investigate the demolition of Queen Elizabeth II Hospital. He said Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) had offered to demolish the hospital at a lower cost but the Majoro-led government awarded the tender for the job to someone else who charged more.

“China also gave the government money to construct water sources in different constituencies, go investigate and find out if there has been any constructed,” he said.

Mahao went on to link Prime Minister Majoro to several other illegal dealings, further pointing out that some of these corrupt acts date back to previous governments and have never been stopped.

Speaking on Majoro’s capture, Mahao said most of the times when cabinet made decisions on some things, Majoro takes a long time before executing them and that when he does they come in a different shape with justification that he was seeking a second opinion from elsewhere.

“His government has no vision and future.

We have no problem with the change of government, but those who are now pushing for the ouster of Majoro are not concerned about Basotho but their target is to get into power so that they can have resources for the coming elections.

“Overthrowing Majoro now will not help in any way especially that we are left with only nine months before parliament is closed for 2022 elections,” Mahao said.

He emphasised that they are certain that the government that will take over after Majoro’s ouster, will also fail, adding that the country’s politics have lost the touch with the mandate of the electorate it is meant to serve – but has been turned into a game where politicians push personal agendas.

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