Africa-Press – Lesotho. THE Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) faces a revolt from some of its disgruntled MPs opposed to the party’s decision to bring the electoral bill to parliament without first discussing it in their caucus.
A group of MPs is said to have openly told the party leadership that they will not support the National Assembly Electoral (Amendment) Bill when it’s brought to parliament on Friday.
Their concern, sources said, is that the party has been making decisions without discussing them in the party’s caucus. The Bill, which is part of the national reforms, was not discussed by the caucus.
Instead, most MPs knew about the Bill being brought to parliament through social media. A source said when they asked the leadership about it they were told it was not true.
Their fears were however confirmed on Monday this week when the Bill was discussed at a joint caucus. The source said that is when matters came to a head.
“We are sick and tired of being side-lined as RFP MPs. We cannot be called to a joint caucus to discuss matters we have not first discussed as the RFP caucus,” an RFP MP said last night.
He said although MPs are not opposed to the Bill’s contents and motive they want to block it to make a statement against the party’s leadership whom they accuse of undermining them to work with coalition partners instead.
“How this Bill has been brought to parliament is just a continuation of that trend we have been seeing and complaining about.
We are not a rubber stamp,” said another MP. “We represent the members of the MPs and are therefore one of the most important stakeholders in the party.
” After the joint caucus on Monday RFP MPs took to their WhatsApp group to voice their concerns about being side-lined by the party. In that WhatsApp group, some MPs said they would not participate in the vote on the Bill on Friday.
Evidence that the mood against the party had soured was also apparent at the MPs’ workshop on Tuesday, with MPs lobbying each other to scuttle the Bill.
“The leadership now knows that most MPs will not be supporting the Bill on Friday. They know the MPs will not compromise until the party starts respecting them,” said another MP.
So strong is the opposition to the Bill that the RFP has now called an emergency caucus to pacify the enraged MPs and cajole them to support the Bill.
There was however some speculation last night that some MPs will not budge on their plan to sabotage the Bill. Another source said about 30 of the RFP’s 56 MPs might vote against the Bill.
“Unless something gives they might decide to withdraw the Bill on Friday to avoid the embarrassment of it being opposed by their own MPs,” said the source.
“They did this again with the budget but this time we will not tolerate it.
” The Bill needs a simple majority to pass but the government is not confident that it has the numbers to reach that minimum threshold.
Prime Minister Sam Matekane urgently needs to pass the electoral bill to consolidate his power and insulate his government against growing manoeuvres from the opposition that is said to be plotting against him with some of his MPs.
The electoral Bill proposes to limit floor-crossing and the chances of a vote of no-confidence against the government. The Bill says MPs can only cross the floor during a 15-day window period declared by the Speaker of Parliament after three years.
It states that MPs who cross the floor before or after that window will vacate their seat and face a fresh election. The Bill also says a vote of no confidence can only be moved once during the parliament’s five-year tenure.
It also limits the powers of proportional representation MPs to vote against their party’s position in parliament. The Bill is thus seen as Matekane’s insurance cover.
It’s the shield he urgently needs as faces insurrection from some of his MPs. The opposition is also beating war drums as they sense an opportunity to work with some of those disgruntled MPs to topple the government in parliament.
This explains why the opposition has accused the government of pushing the electoral Bill ahead of other laws that are part of the reforms. The opposition has already told the government that they will oppose any attempt to pass the reform laws piecemeal.
Last night Democratic Congress (DC)’s leader Mathibeli Mokhothu, accused Matekane of cherry-picking parts of the reforms that protect his government. “It’s a sinister move and we will not support it.
They are going back on their promise to push the reforms as a package that benefits the country,” Mokhothu said. “That was never the spirit of the reforms.
That is not what they promised during the elections. ” Meanwhile, the RFP leadership continues to push back against party members demanding a conference to elect a new national executive committee.
Deputy leader Justice Nthomeng Majara was in a fiery mood at the party’s victory celebration in Qoaling constituency on Sunday. Justice Majara threatened that if the members did not stop their demands for an elective conference the leadership would leave the party.
“The leader is included in those who will leave. Nothing will stop us,” Justice Majara said.
“This party will not last its five-year term and it will die like other parties.
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