(MENAFN- The Post) MASERU – THE Basotho Patriotic Party (BPP) leader, Tefo Mapesela, says the Democratic Congress (DC) should allow the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to correct its mistake by re-allocating seats.
Mapesela, speaking at a rally in Hololo constituency on Sunday, criticised the DC for opposing the application when the IEC sought to correct its mistake when it allocated seats following last month's election.
The case will be heard in the High Court tomorrow.
Mapesela said instead of opposing the application, the DC should withdraw its three Proportional Representation MPs who have already been sworn in because they were erroneously put in parliament.
The IEC, which admitted the error, came under a barrage of attacks from political parties after the October 7 general election.
It said it had made a mistake when it allocated three seats to the DC and another to the Alliance of Democrats (AD), which has already formed a coalition government with the Revolution for
Prosperity (RFP) and the Movement for Economic Change (MEC).
The IEC has said in court papers that the seats were supposed to be allocated to Mapesela's BPP, the United for Change (UFC) of 'Malichaba Lekhoaba, the Basotho National Party (BNP), and the Lesotho People's Congress (LPC).
Mapesela, Lekhoaba, the BNP spokesperson 'Masetota Leshota and the LPC leader Moipone Piet will be sworn-in as MPs if the High Court agrees with the IEC tomorrow.
They would replace three DC MPs – Moramang Moleleki from Hololo, 'Masuthang Taole from Mantšonyane, and Nthati Ramohanyane.
The AD's Lebohang Mochaba, from Mekaling constituency, will also have to go home.
Before the swearing-in of the MPs, Mapesela rushed to the High Court to block the swearing-in arguing that the four MPs did not have a right to cast their votes during the election of the Speaker of Parliament and Deputy Speaker.
Addressing the rally in Hololo, Mapesela said the seat that was allocated to his party by the IEC should be reallocated to him with immediate effect.
“That is my seat,” he bellowed.
“The BPP members voted and we want it,” he said.
“The seat should be allocated to us because the IEC is not giving it to us through sympathy. We qualify for that seat because the BPP members voted.”
“It is not by accident that we got that seat,” he said.
Mapesela said his party had decided to support the RFP leader Sam Matekane.
“I will support the government without conditions. I do not want positions or anything,” he said.
He said they will support Matekane as they believe he is the right person to lead the country“from the Somalia-state it is in now”.
He said he will not cast curses at the RFP as he did with the All Basotho Convention (ABC), the party he defected from when he founded the BPP last year.
“I burnt their clothes showing that I was burning the entire party,” Mapesela said.
He said because of his curses, the ABC has downsized from above 50 constituencies in the 2017 general election to zero in last month's polls.
He said when he decided to leave the ABC, some people thought he was mentally ill.
“Where is the ABC now?” he asked.
He pleaded with his party members to support the Matekane-led government so that it can perform its duties well.
He said life does not start and end with being a minister.
Mapesela said Matekane should be allowed to do his prime ministerial duties.
Nkheli Liphoto