Africa-Press – Lesotho. MOHLOMINYANE Tota, the only MP for the United for Change (UFC), has defied the party’s order to stop voting with the opposition in parliament. Tota, the UFC’s deputy leader, told thepost this week that he will vote, guided by his own conscience, and not the party’s instructions.
His defiance comes after the party publicly chastised him for voting with the opposition in parliament. A fightnight ago, Tota angered his party when he sided with the opposition to vote against the government’s motion to continue discussing the reforms’ Omnibus Bill despite that it was being challenged in the Constitutional Court.
The government however won with 57 votes against the opposition’s 50. The UFC issued a statement reprimanding Tota for defying its decision to always vote with the government.
But Tota told thepost this week that he was unfazed by the party’s warning. “I will continue to vote with the opposition where need be, and I will also vote with the government where need be,” Tota said.
He said he respects the party’s position but “I also have a right to follow my conscience”. This, he added, is because “it is not mandatory for an MP to toe the party line even when his conscience does not allow it”.
He said whether he will vote with the government or the opposition will depend “on the issue on the table”. He said his conscience would not allow him to vote with the government on the Omnibus Bill motion.
“It was wrong,” Tota said.
“I will do the same again given another chance.
” Tota’s response comes three days after the UFC issued a statement distancing itself from his stance in parliament.
The party said its national executive committee had an urgent meeting over the weekend to discuss Tota’s behaviour. It said its position is to always support Prime Minister Sam Matekane’s coalition government.
“‘The issue has caused a lot of confusion in the party and among Basotho at large,” the statement reads.
The party also said Tota did not bother to inform the national executive committee about his decision so that he could get a new mandate. “He did not even inform the committee before voting,” the statement reads.
“The national executive committee held an intensive meeting with Tota about the matter because the purpose of the party is to support the government,” it reads.
The UFC said where the government goes wrong “the party will continue to confront it with peace and not with a fight” (sic). “We have confidence in the current government because it was voted in by Basotho.
” The UFC’s statement makes it clear that the party “will not support anything against the government”.
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