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dam-l Lesotho Crisis/LS
>From the BBC web site:
Monday, September 21, 1998 Published at 16:38 GMT 17:38 UK
World: Africa
S Africa gives up Lesotho mediation
The South African government has cancelled until further notice
efforts to mediate in the political crisis paralysing the
mountain
kingdom of Lesotho.
Allegations of election fraud have sparked weeks of unrest
in the
capital Maseru.
Demonstrators have persuaded civil servants to stay away
from work
and most banks remain closed.
Despite intense diplomatic efforts by South Africa,
planned talks
between the government and opposition have failed to take
place.
The BBC's Greg Barrow, reporting from
Lesotho, says foreign diplomats are saying
they can no longer see any way out of the
current impasse.
The three opposition parties behind the
organised protests claim the ruling Lesotho Congress
Party's landslide
victory in May was the result of fraud.
An independent report published last week concluded there were
''serious concerns'' about the polls, but did not
recommend they be
declared invalid.
After a rebellion in the army 10 days ago, the military is
under new
leadership and has refrained from a major effort to
restore order in the
streets.
A foreign team of negotiators met separately with the
government
and opposition parties on Sunday to discuss security and
election
fraud issues.
About 1,500 protesters gathered at the palace in Maseru to
await the
outcome of the meetings, according to American diplomat Ray
Brown.
Army clears streets with gunfire
On Sunday night, the army confronted opposition supporters and
shots were fired to drive them off the streets.
Maseru, the site of two months of anti-government
protests, was quiet
on Monday, but state-owned Radio Lesotho was off the air.
Workers said opposition supporters had
threatened to storm the radio station on
Sunday and announce on air that the
government had fallen.
In its report on the elections, the Langa
Commission, composed of representatives of South Africa,
Botswana
and Zimbabwe, cited "serious concerns" about the polls.
It said seals on ballot boxes had been prematurely broken and
material from different polling stations had been mixed
together.
But on Friday the government said it would not step down.
South African Safety and Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi met
Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili and his cabinet ministers on
Sunday, but refused to comment on the talks.
The leader of the opposition Basotholand Congress Party, Molapo
Qhobela, dismissed as "unmitigated rubbish" the ruling
party's claim
that it could not meet opposition party leaders because of
fears of
violence.
King Letsie III, a figurehead monarch who the opposition
parties want
to dissolve parliament, has cancelled a visit to China
because of the
political situation.
end
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Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
and Editor, World Rivers Review
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008
http://www.irn.org
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