Squabbles rock RFP

MASERU – THE Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) has been rocked by bitter squabbles after chaotic internal elections to select constituency committees around the country last weekend.
Disgruntled members told thepost this week that they were not happy with how the newly formed party handled the elections.

They said the process to elect constituency committees was riddled with outright cheating with the party’s interim national executive committee imposing its preferred candidates.
The internal fights, however, are merely a manifestation of the behind the scenes battles within the RFP as individuals position themselves to stand a chance to represent the party in general elections due in September.

By securing their place in the constituency committee, members put themselves within striking distance to win primary elections and be nominated to stand for the RFP in the national elections.
People in the Malingoaneng constituency told thepost yesterday that they are not happy with how the whole “election” of the constituency committee was conducted.

They said the whole process was a charade.
A party official who requested anonymity said the “election” happened before the officially stipulated day.

The new constituency committee which was elected last Sunday appears to have the tacit backing of the interim executive committee, he said.
He said the new committee was not even elected in the constituency although its members live in Malingoaneng.

The committee, the complainants say, was elected in the Mokhotlong constituency. Eligible voters from the Malingoaneng constituency branches were not present at the Mokhotlong meeting.

“This committee was elected for us without us,” one of the candidates who was seeking a position in the committee said.

The candidate, who opted to remain anonymous for fear of jeopardising his electoral chances, said the election was done in secret adding Malingoaneng constituency party members were not aware of the process.

“I don’t object to the venue. An election can be held anywhere as long as we are sure that voters will be able to go there,” he said.

“The problem is we did not know about it because it is obvious that some people wanted their own candidates to win without being challenged openly at a well-attended conference.”

“It is unfair,” he said.

In a joint statement issued this week, all the 22 Malingoaneng constituency branches have called on the national executive committee to set aside the election and call for a proper conference.
The constituency said they were surprised that unlike other constituencies they were not allowed to elect their own committee.

They stated that a party circular number 0002/2022 states that their constituency would not conduct the election on the same day as other constituencies.
They added that the circular was clear that people with disabilities should be included.

It states that people who defected from one party “should not be elected together” to form a committee.
They complained that the new committee that was elected violates principles laid out in the circular as it has many members from the same political party.

The elected committee has seven members from the Democratic Congress (DC) and only two members from the Alliance of Democrats (AD).

“This committee that has been imposed on us encompasses people from the DC and some are relatives,” the letter said.

The committee members are Liteboho Lesoetsa, Pholo Ramosito, Mathaba Lesoetsa, Tsebang Lesoetsa, Tloutle Moeketsi, Lesoetsa Lesoetsa and Lebamang Mokhupi, all of whom are from the DC.
The two members from the AD are ’Matotomana Sepeane and Teboho Lethakha.

“As the Malingoaneng constituency, we do not see any justice in this for us,” the letter reads in part.

They also complained that only five out of the 22 branches from Malingoaneng attended the controversial elective conference in Mokhotlong.

“There was no publication that the committee would be elected there and on that day so that we could all participate,” it reads.

They complained that the new committee even refused to present itself in front of the constituency members so that they could know them.
They also stated that due to the misunderstanding the members decided to elect their own interim committee to carry on with constituency duties.

The branches that elected the interim committee are Tšepong, Mafolaneng, Sebera, Tena Babaphei, Ntšupe, Rammeke, Khubelu, Linokong, Ha-’Mei, Lithoteng, Khotsang, Limonkoaneng, Liphofung, Pae-la-Itlhatsoa, and Ha-Meno.

“The purpose of the interim committee is to perform the duties as we struggled to meet the imposed committee,” the letter said.

They pleaded with the national executive committee to allow them to elect a new committee.

“We plead with the executive committee to withdraw the circular No. 0002/2022 so that we elect (new people) like other constituencies.”

The RFP secretary general, Nthati Moorosi, told this paper last night that she was not ready to respond.

“I think I will not do justice to the story given the amount of work, I am trying to get to the bottom of these claims,” Moorosi said.
She promised the party’s full response in our next issue after they have fully investigated the claims.

Nkheli Liphoto