Lesotho’s Prime Minister’s Party Wins Vote

Posted May 29th, 2012 at 2:30 pm (UTC-5)
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The party of Lesotho Prime Minister Pakilitha Mosisili has captured the most votes in Saturday's parliamentary elections, but fell short of the outright majority needed to govern.

Final results released Tuesday show Mr. Mosisili's Democratic Congress won 41 of 80 seats. He formed the party earlier this year after quitting the Lesotho Congress for Democracy.

The main opposition All Basotho Convention followed with 26 seats, trailed by the Lesotho Congress for Democracy with 12 seats.

The mixed results indicate Mr. Mosisili's party will have to form a coalition to govern, a development that raised concerns about post-election violence similar to what happened following inconclusive results in the 1998 elections.

Lesotho is a tiny mountainous nation completely surrounded by South Africa.