Africa-Press – Lesotho. THE Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) was thrown into a fire-fighting mode this week after disgruntled party members protested over the party’s “undemocratic practices” in picking election candidates.
The members who won primary elections to stand for the party in the October 7 general elections were however blocked by the party’s leadership, torching protests by the grassroots supporters. The group says it now wants party leader, Sam Matekane, to explain the criteria used to pick election candidates.
In defending the process, the RFP has argued that it picked the candidates on the basis of meritocracy insisting these were the best qualified candidates for the constituencies, an argument the group says lacks transparency.
Shortly after the party’s secretary general, Nthati Moorosi, announced the list of the chosen ones last week, scores of RFP members flocked the party offices demanding answers why their elected candidates were left out.
On Tuesday morning, the RFP went all out to reassure the disgruntled members that they were still valued members of the party. thepost understands that the party held a counselling session with the group.
However, a few hours later the group held a press conference in Maseru where they said even though they still supported the party all they wanted was transparency.
The disgruntled members are ’Mampho Seutloali from Stadium Area, Monohi Ralentsoe from Makhaleng, Chopho Lekhoabane from Khafung, Morakane Monate from Hlotse, Kobeli Rethabile Letlailane from Lithoteng, Thabo Moloi from Machache, Mahali Phamotse from Matlakeng and ‘Mamako Mohale-Lerata from Matelile.
The group said Matekane should explain the criteria the party used to pick candidates. Earlier the party had said the candidates would be selected based on their educational backgrounds, business successes or other social achievements in their communities.
Most of all these people Matekane left out have solid academic credentials and are successful in other sectors of society. Letlailane, reading their joint statement at the press conference, said they are demanding the document drafted by their leader while shortlisting the candidates.
“We believe that these documents are the only ones that can end the outcry that is coming from members who elected us in the constituencies,” Letlailane said.
“Members are worried that the results do not have transparency. This has caused loss of members in some constituencies,” he said, adding that some had already started re-joining parties they had defected from.
He said they wanted Matekane to give them answers so that they could go back and convince members that all is still well in the party. He said the documents would allay the fears of the people in the party.
“We aim to help our party to stop losing members on account of this,” he said. Letlailana got 28 votes but Matekane picked Siera Letsoela who got only 12 votes.
Phamotse received a stunning 96 votes but the party picked a relatively unknown Kenny Ntoane who only got 10 votes. Letlailane said the RFP should be a beacon of transparency because many people had left their parties to join it because they were not transparent.
“The people are asking the RFP to live by what it preaches.
He stated that most of the candidates who won primary elections but were not chosen do not want to defect together with the people in the constituencies who have started defecting.
“We aim to work hard to build this party, to get things right so that people do not leave,” he said.
He said their other aim is to prove to the nation and the people that the results were transparent. Dr Phamotse said by asking for the criteria “the angry people will understand and stop defecting”.
“We are helping by asking for accountability as there are some constituencies that have also launched similar complaints,” she said.
She said there are 30 aggrieved candidates who won primaries but were not picked to stand in their constituencies. “They are not happy and we do not want them to leave,” she said.
Dr Phamotse said what makes matters worse is that members do not have the party constitution and they do not know if they have any legal basis to complain.
The people, she said, base their decisions on democracy as they know it. “We are representing others who are also not happy, especially those who won the primary elections.
” The Stadium Area primary election winner, ’Mampho Seutloali, said the candidates have huge supporters behind them.
“They are expecting to know what will be done as they voted for people and the party chose otherwise,” Seutloali said. She stated that they had been negotiating with members not to defect. “We are telling our people that the RFP is still powerful,” she said.
Matelile’s Mohale-Lerata said they signed a document to be members, therefore, they have a right to speak on matters affecting the RFP. “But the constitution has not yet reached our constituencies,” Mohale-Lerata said.
A day earlier, Qacha’s Nek constituency members stormed the party premises demanding answers over the party’s undemocratic selection of candidates. The members who had traveled from Qacha’s Nek to seek answers were not allowed to enter the office until around 4pm when a security guard finally let four of them in.
One of their representatives, Kokolia Mosothoane, told thepost that the leader chose ’Maatang Chaka who lost the primary elections. “We demand to know how our leader picked this nobody, who stays in Maseru and knows nothing about us,” Mosothoane said.
“We will not tolerate this,” he said. The members left the offices without answers.
On Sunday, the party co-founder Tlohang Sekhamane defended the party’s stance at a rally in Qeme constituency. Sekhamane said change is a beautiful thing as it goes along with developments.
“Change is not delicious on some people’s palates. We must embrace change,” Sekhamane said. Sekhamane said Matekane has pointed out who should represent which constituency and “people lash at him for that”.
“That is why Lesotho is a poor country because we do not want to do the right things,” he said.
He said Matekane is doing what he knows by changing the ways things have been done in the country in the past. He stated that Matekane wants to work with people he trusts the most.
“We thank you for allowing him to do so,” he said. He said members “should change their old ways”.
“Stop believing that a parliament is an employment place where people go to eat with their families.
” He urged the members not to leave when unhappy because their party is doing this for their sake and the sake of the entire country.
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