Africa-Press – Lesotho. An attempt to overturn Dr ’Mamonaheng Mokitimi’s election as Senate president flopped yesterday after a recount of the ballots confirmed that she won the position fair and square.
The recount of the ballots was conducted after some 12 Senators demanded that they be verified after alleging that the election might have been rigged.
The senators said they wanted to see the ballots to prove that the numbers tallied and that Dr Mokitimi indeed beat Koeneng Principal Chief Peete Peete in the November 3 election.
The recount followed a charged Tuesday debate in which tempers flared as some senators aggressively pushed for a change to verify the ballots. “We petitioned the Senate over the president-elect,” said Chief Mojela Makhaola, the Principal Chief of Qacha’s Nek.
He said they believe the election was rigged to give her a second chance to come as the President. “We are about 12 but there are others who were not here when we petitioned the Senate.
But they support this move,” Senator Makhaola said. Chief Makhaola said they wanted to verify the ballot papers. He said the law says the ballot papers should be kept for 30 days after the elections so that those with queries can scrutinise them.
He said they have been told that they would be given responses to their demand. “We are still waiting to get answers,” the Senator said. As the fierce debate continued yesterday the Senate asked the media to leave the press gallery.
The media was only allowed back after about an hour. The Leribe Principal Chief, Joel Motšoene, said the senate’s handbook, which he described as the senate’s ‘bible’, should be strictly followed.
In the chaos, Dr Mokitimi appealed to the senators to be modest and respectful in their debates. She said neither she nor the clerk could address their grievances.
She said the letter that the senators wrote her should have been addressed to the House, not her office. Only the senators themselves, she added, could deal with their issues. The recount however did not change anything because it only confirmed the November 3 results. Dr Mokitimi got 19 votes to Chief Peete’s 11.
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