By ‘Majirata Latela
The passing of the 11th Amendment to the Constitution Bill (Omnibus Bill) including the Bills which were expunged from the Bill by the 10th Parliament now tops the list of the agenda for the new coalition government.
The 11th parliament which will soon be sworn into office has a list of priorities that are to be addressed in the first 100 days in power.
This has emerged during a press conference hosted by the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP)’s Ntsoakoane Samuel Matekane.
This week RFP found that it could not form government alone, it decided to form a coalition with Alliance of Democrats (AD) and Movement for Economic Change (MEC).
In the past elections, RFP got 56 constituency seats and no complementary seats, AD got attained constituency seats and three complementary seats while MEC got one constituency seat and three proportional seats.
Matekane minced no words that some of the priorities that they would like to address in the first 100 days of assuming office was to wrap up the reform process.
Other priorities mentioned include clean governance and a strive for economic growth. He said the coalition was bent on reduction of government ministries which currently stands at 36 to a yet undisclosed number. That, he revealed, is to be uncovered after the three parties meeting to be held over the weekend.
Matekane further added that the three parties also plan to fight corruption and high crime rate. The plan is also to implement the adhere to the recommendations contained in the Auditor General’s past financial reports.
The appointed leader of the coalition, Matekane indicated that the coalition in the 100 days will also look into stabilising the shaky economy. He said their government will also make sure that all top government officials declare their r.
“Declaration of assets will commence with us as the leaders of the three political parties which have formed a coalition. We also vow before the nation that we are going to fight for the unity and peace among the Basotho,” he said.
In an interview with theReporter, a voter Moalosi Morahanye, a street vendor in Maseru Central Business District, pointed out that one of the issues he would like to see addressed by the new government is the rising youth unemployment.
“As a youth, I would like the new government to address the issue of unemployment as soon as possible among some of us. It is not by choice that some of us are here in the streets trying to make ends meets, it is because we did not get jobs after graduating. Even the business that we are trying to build collapses because we do not have enough capital.
“We also hope to see more youth absorbed in government and also by the private sector,” he said.
Another voter, Molebong Taunyane a textile worker at Thetsane Industrial Area in Maseru, said the new government should address the poor working conditions in the industry.
She claimed to be one of the electors who voted for Matekane’s party because “the past governments have been promising to address the challenges that blight the textile and garment industry.”
Many textile and garment companies are either downgrading operations or shutting down, in the process plunging thousands of workers into joblessness.
“May the government take note of this and make sure to address it before it gets out of hand. We also want improved wages; the salaries we are getting now do not cater for our everyday needs. Literally the salaries we are getting only cater for transport and rent only and that is a disaster,” Taunyane said.
Just a week before the elections this month this publication reported that 3700 workers at Formosa Textile factory are to be ‘laid off’ for a period spanning three months without pay and will be forced to go for an unpaid ‘short time’ from October this year.
The news was broken by Formosa Textile workers at a press conference where they pleaded with the post-election government to ramp up efforts to support them financially.
Meanwhile, political analyst Motlamelle Kapa this week, applauded the three parties’ list of priorities indicating that reforms should be the main issue that new government should look into when assuming reins. He said the envisaged reforms will help stabilise the government with floor crossing also on the agenda.
“One of the major issues which they have raised, which I find commendable is the reforms process. Moreover, to have mentioned that they will make sure they reform laws within the 100 days of taking office is one thing that I regard as important for the coalition.
“This country can never attain stability without completing the reforms process. Unity and peace can only be reached after completing the reforms process and passing laws. Issues such as fighting corruption can only be achievable when the laws are adhered to and implemented.
He also added that in this coalition RFP which has the majority seats will have to determine the terms of coalition and for the other two parties to follow-suit as the former has a numerical superiority with regard to the number of seats obtained in the National Assembly.
He said when announcing their coalition, the three leaders said their party manifestos have a lot of similarities but that will not be the case when it comes to the decision making. RFP, he said, will determine the outcome of the decisions because of the powers it holds numerically.
Kapa has previously gone on record commenting that it was disheartening that clauses in the 11th Amendment to the Constitution Bill (Omnibus Bill) were expunged by the Lower House when there is a great need for Lesotho to be reformed.
He said due to this failure to legislate the reforms, the country was far from removal from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) top agenda.
Local journalist Kananelo Boloetse and Advocate Lintle Tuke successfully challenged the recalling of parliament which was meant to pass the 10th and the 11th Constitutional Bills. The Court of Appeal ruled that the recall of the 10th Parliament Notice in terms of which the dissolved parliament was recalled to pass two Bills was beyond the powers of the King. In addition, the recalled parliament had no constitutional authority to debate and pass the two Bills.
Following the outcome of the case, government spokesperson Tṧoinyane Rapapa told the media during a press conference on September 20 that due to the outcome of the appeal, all laws that were already gazetted after being passed by the recalled parliament are considered null and void. He therefore said the laws will not be enforced.
He said there was nothing that the government could “do at this point but to wait for the next parliament” which will be soon be sworn-in.
In another development, Rapapa yesterday announced he was leaving the ABC to join the RFP.
