Africa-Press – Lesotho. THE leader of the opposition in parliament, Mathibeli Mokhothu, wants the Speaker to “reconsider” his decision to appoint ’Machabana Lemphane-Letsie as the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
In a letter dated April 24, 2023, Mokhothu told Tlohang Sekhamane that appointing Lemphane-Letsie as chairperson would indicate that the government was determined “to abort the primary oversight function of parliament over the executive”.
This is because Lemphane-Letsie, who heads Hope party that has a single seat in parliament, is backing the coalition government led by Prime Minister Sam Matekane.
Mokhothu said it would therefore be inappropriate for Lemphane-Letsie to chair the PAC whose mandate would be to scrutinise how the government would be using public resources when she is backing the same government.
Mokhothu argued that the position of PAC chairman must be held by an MP from the opposition. “This is a long-standing tradition of the Commonwealth parliaments of which Lesotho is a member of that the PAC chair is from the opposition,” Mokhothu said.
“It will be recalled that they are all woven together by their history of strong ties with the United Kingdom,” he said.
“For this reason they are rooted in the Westminster system and practice of the PAC as a tool of oversight.
Mokhothu said the main function of the PAC is to scrutinise the reports of the Auditor General to determine the extent to which the government adhered to the dictates of parliament when using public funds.
He said the PAC is intended to curb or minimise extravagance and wasteful expenditure and to encourage sound financial practices such as those stipulated in the Public Financial Management.
He said deviations in the public spending are duly reported to parliament. “PAC’s work demands ethical leadership in the use of public funds and it calls for greater accountability and transparency on the part of the government,” he said.
“The PAC by its nature is a hallmark of parliamentary democracy where there is not only governing and opposition parties.
The leader of the Basotho Action Party (BAP), Professor Nqosa Mahao, said they are yet to get legal advice regarding an MP who is parachuted to the position of chairing the PAC yet she supports the government.
“But that there is provision of meaningful opportunity for minority or opposition parties to engage in effective oversight of government expenditure,” Professor Mahao said.
Mokhothu said the PAC is “a leading oversight committee which provides checks and balances hence its suitability to be chaired by a member of the opposition as it is inappropriate for the government to scrutinise itself”.
“I trust that with these few observations the Speaker will reconsider and embrace this noble and well-intended practice,” he said.
The leader of the Basotho National Party (BNP), Machesetsa Mofomobe, said they too are not happy with the appointment of Lemphane-Letsie as the PAC chairperson.
Mofomobe said all over the world the tradition is that the position is held by someone from the opposition. He said parliament is administered on the basis of established practices.
“If there is nothing written down, the Speaker will refer to other jurisdictions,” he said. Mofomobe said SADC jurisdictions show that the PAC has to be chaired by someone from the opposition.
Nkaku Kabi of the All Basotho Convention (ABC) said parliamentary law clearly states that the PAC chair should be from the opposition parties. Kabi argued that Lemphane-Letsie is in breach of the law by chairing the PAC.
But Lemphane-Letsie said the complaints by the opposition were baseless and were not grounded in law. She said it is just a practice that PAC chair usually comes from the opposition.
“It is not a law. It is just a practice,” she said.
“Practices are used to our conveniences and if they are not to our convenience we do not use them,” she added.
“I cannot support some of the issues pushed by the opposition in parliament,” she said.
As a member of Hope, Lemphane-Letsie said they had made an oath that they would support this democratically elected government during its five-year term as per the Constitution.
“This is what we are doing,” she said, adding that they are not going to shift from their mandate as they want to see this government finishing its five-year term.
“But I am not going to watch helplessly if the government acts wrongly,” she said. Lemphane-Letsie said she would seek to be balanced as she chairs the committee despite that she supports the government.
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