Maseru – The Heads of Churches in Lesotho, the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochi  e, representatives of the United Nations and civil society convened today to discuss the mediation process ahead of the local and national elections.

The meeting was also an opportunity to reflect on the mediation process, led by the Heads of Churches, which has sought to resolve outstanding issues emerging from the national election of 2007. Amongst the topics under discussion was the agreement among Lesotho’s political parties in March, which enabled important changes in the national electoral laws. 

The resulting National Electoral Act has paved the way for a single ballot for the upcoming elections, designed to maintain the Mixed Member Proportional Electoral System agreed by all parties in 2002.   The Act also prohibits pre-electoral alliances among parties and expands the rights of citizens to appeal electoral results through the High Court. 

The Heads of Churches and their partners agreed to a plan of action to review and strengthen their mediation role in the context of the upcoming election season.

The event was organized through the support the UNDP Governance Programme, ‘Consolidation of Democracy and Good Governance in Lesotho’. The five-year programme is jointly funded by the Government of Ireland and UNDP and aims to institutionalise and deepen democracy and good governance through improved electoral processes, the effective functioning of Parliament and the enhanced promotion of human rights.

For additional information, contact:

Ron Kraybill
Collaborative Capacities Advisor
UN Lesotho
ron.kraybill@undp.org

Gavin David White
Communications Specialist
Office of the UN Resident Coordinator
gavin.david.white@one.un.org