Gender parity elusive as Lesotho votes

Gender parity elusive as Lesotho votes


Date: June 2, 2017
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Final appeal for the election of women: “Yes we must and yes we can.”

It is only a day to the 3 June 2017 Lesotho National Assembly elections.

Maseru, 2 June: 2017 has seen more women participating in the National Assembly elections with a total of 409 women or 31% of all candidates for all the 80 constituencies. This represents an increase of about 21% from a total of 337 women candidates in 2015. However despite this welcome increase in the proportion of women candidates in the Lesotho elections this Saturday, gender parity in parliament is still elusive.

The district of Qacha’s Nek has the highest percentage of women candidates at 42% while Berea has the lowest at 22%. The voting system incorporates affirmative action as the Proportional Representation (PR) list is generated using the zebra system with male and female alternations. Despite this, the women who get elected are less than the set minimum of 30%. It is important to note that women comprise the majority of voters at 56%.

In Lesotho, national elections are conducted on a Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) basis. The MMP is a dual ballot system that allows a voter to cast two ballots – constituency vote and a party vote. Constituency representation in the National Assembly is determined by the constituency vote while the party vote compensates parties that have won few to no constituency seats. The party vote is used to select candidates from a party list to make up for seats a party would have been entitled to had constituency seats been allocated on a proportional basis[1].

The local government elections are also conducted on the MMP basis as a result of a legislated quota that allows women to occupy 30% of seats on proportional representation basis. The result of the 2011 local government elections was that women got represented at 49% that earned Lesotho the first position in representation of women in local government in the SADC region. The result reflects a global fact that women fare much better in PR than constituency elections, especially when it is combined with a quota. With an adjustment to the national electoral laws parity can be achieved at the national level. Two options are either to increase the number of PR seats, or to reserve the PR seats for women only as it happens at local level.

Prior to the 2012 election, a single party formed government if they fulfilled the Lesotho Constitutional requirement win of two thirds majority seats. However, the 2012 election changed the political landscape of Lesotho as none of the parties contesting for the 2012 won the two thirds majority seats required to form government. This resulted in the formation of a coalition government of three parties namely; All Basotho Convention (ABC), Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) and Basotho National Party (BNP). All three parties were led by men.

The coalition government had brought with it both excitement and anxieties regarding the gender agenda among other development issues. However, it was generally a disappointment as the representation of women in many institutions remained very low. The representation of women was only 25%, a two percent drop from the previous 27% in the 7th parliament. The number of female cabinet ministers also dropped from 42% to 22%.  After only two and half years, the coalition government collapsed due to a tussle between the partners and the result was the 2015 snap elections.

The results of the 2015 election yielded similar outcomes as those of the 2012 election as no single party garnered the two thirds majority seats requirement. This resulted in the formation of a seven- party coalition. All seven parties were led by men. The percentage of women in parliament remained unchanged at 25% and the female cabinet ministers’ percentage was now at 24%, a slight increase of 2% up from the 2012 elections. Going by this trend, the coalition government has proven that there is no place for women as the country has been experiencing a consistent drop in the representation of women both in cabinet and parliament as seen during the 8th (2012) and 9th (2015) parliament.

It is time to vote for change to ensure an increase in the number of elected women during the upcoming 3 June elections, as we move towards the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Nothing for women without women.

For more information on this press release contact the Gender Links Lesotho Manager Mabetha Manteboheleng on lesmanager@genderlinks.org.za  or call  +266 589 323 06, +266 223 167 55

 

Analysis of candidates per constituency

 

DISTRICT CONSTITUENCY MEN WOMEN
BUTHA-BUTHE 1.Mechachane 12 5
2.Hololo 14 4
3.Motete 11 5
4.Qalo 10 6
5.Butha-Buthe 9 6
LERIBE 6.Maliba-Mats’o 9 4
7.Mphosong 10 8
8.Thaba-Phats’oa 10 6
9.Mahobong 7 11
10.Pela Ts’oeu 11 5
11.Matlakeng 11 7
12.Leribe 14 4
13.Hlotse 13 3
14.Tsikoane 15 4
15.Maputsoe 10 11
16.Likhetlane 15 3
17.Peka
18.Kolonyama 12 6
BEREA 19.Mosalemane 14 3
20.Makhoroana 14 2
21.Bela-Bela 19 1
22.Malimong 13 5
23.Khafung 17 4
24.Teya-Teyaneng 17 2
25.Ts’oana-Makhulo 12 6
26.Thupa-Kubu 17 5
27.Berea 10 9
28.Khubetsoana 14 6
29.Mabote 16 3
MASERU 30.Motimposo 9 10
31.Stadium-Area 13 6
32.Maseru 11 7
33.Thetsane 14 6
34.Qoaling 14 9
35.Lithoteng 9 7
36.Lithabaneng 15 6
37.Abia 15 5
38.Thaba-Bosiu 15 6
39.Mechachane 10 10
40.Thaba-Putsoa 10 6
41.Maama 13 6
42.Koro-Koro 17 4
43.Qeme 12 6
44.Rothe 10 7
45.Matsieng 10 5
46.Makhaleng 12 2
47.Maletsunyana 12 2
MAFETENG 48.Thaba-Pechela 14 4
49.Kolo 14 4
50.Matelile 13 3
51.Maliepetsane 11 6
52.Thabana-Morena 11 4
53.Likhoele 11 6
54.Qalabane 9 9
55.Mafeteng 14 7
MOHALE’S HOEK 56.Taung 8 8
57.Qhalasi 11 6
58.Mohale’s Hoek 14 4
59.Mekaling 9 4
60.Qaqatu
61.Mpharane 9 6
62.ketane 7 6
63.Hloahloeng 11 3
QUTHING 64.Tele 12 3
65.Moyeni 12 5
66.Sebapala 12 3
67.Mt Moorosi 11 5
68.Qhoali 9 3
QACHA’S NEK 69.Qacha’s nek 6 8
70.Lebakeng 7 4
71.Tsoelike 9 4
THABA-TSEKA 72.Mants’onyane 13 3
73.Thaba-Moea 12 3
74.Thaba-Tseka 8 8
75.Semena 10 5
76.Mashai 16 2
MOKHOTLONG 77.Malingoaneng 13 3
78.Senqu 7 7
79.Mokhotlong 13 4
80.Bobatsi 10 5
TOTAL 923 409

 

                 Total number of women candidates-31%

                 Total number of men candidates- 69%

                                          

ANALYSIS PER DISTRICT

DISTRICTS MEN PERCENTAGE WOMEN PERCENTAGE
BUTHA-BUTHE 56 68% 26 32%
LERIBE 137 66% 72 34%
BEREA 163 78% 46 22%
MASERU 221 67% 110 33%
MAFETENG 97 69% 43 31%
MOHALE’S HOEK 69 65% 37 35%
QUTHING 56 75% 19 25%
QACHA’S NEK 22 58% 16 42%
THABA-TSEKA 59 74% 21 26%
MOKHOTLONG 43 69% 19 31%

[1] Matlosa, K. 2007. “Lesotho” in Cawthra. G., du Pisani, A and Omari, A (eds) Security and Democracy in Southern Africa.


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