Popular Front for Democracy

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The Popular Front for Democracy (PFD; Sesotho : Khoeetsa ea Sechaba ; German for example: "Popular Front for Democracy", Khoeetsa means "cord that is worn around the neck of newborns and is supposed to bring good luck", thus for example: "lucky cord of the nation" ) is a party in Lesotho . It became the fifth strongest party in the 2015 general election and 7th in the 2017 election .

history

In 1984 the left-wing United Fatherland Front (UFF) was founded with the support of the Communist Party of Lesotho (CPL) founded in 1961 and banned in 1970 . The 1985 general election was boycotted by all parties except the ruling Basotho National Party (BNP). In 1986, in the wake of the military coup, the activities of all parties were banned, so that the UFF never ran for elections. The UFF was re-established in 1990 as the Popular Front for Democracy on the initiative of some left-wing lecturers from the National University of Lesotho . In 1991 parties, including the PFD, were re-admitted. The PFD initially had a socialist agenda; later she took a moderately left stance. Among other things, she accepted the role of chiefs .

In the parliamentary elections in 1993 it received around 900 votes and no seat. After the 1998 elections, a modified proportional representation was introduced, so that the PFD received one of the 120 seats in the 2002 elections for the first time, thanks to around 6,300 votes. She was able to hold her seat in the 2007 elections . The lawyer Lekhetho Rakuoane has been chairman since 1999.

In the 2012 elections she won a direct mandate and two more seats for the first time. It received around 11,000 votes and thus around two percent. The direct mandate was won in the rural constituency of Qalo in the Butha-Buthe district . The PFD subsequently supported the newly elected coalition government under the chairman of the All Basotho Convention , Tom Thabane . In the 2015 elections , the PFD lost its direct mandate, but retained two mandates with 1.7% of the vote. From then on she belonged to a coalition led by the Democratic Congress and entered the coalition government led by the DC. In the 2017 elections , she received three seats, including a direct mandate after an agreement with DC and LCD. The PFD was no longer a member of the coalition formed in 2017. In May 2020, however, she supported the formation of a new coalition government under Moeketsi Majoro (ABC). Rakuoane received the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Culture in the Majoro Cabinet on May 21, 2020 .

Structure and politics

The PFD is led by a chairman and a 30-member board (National Executive Committee) . Every two years there is a party congress at which the executive committee is elected by secret ballot. The number of members is several thousand. The party's emblem is a five-pointed star.

Until 2014, the PFD represented the concerns of workers and small farmers, but also of the middle class and intelligentsia . The PFD had official connections to the trade union confederation Lesotho Congress of Trade Unions, but also to the South African ruling party, the African National Congress, and to the South African Communist Party .

Members (until 2014, selection)

literature

  • Khabele Matlosa, Caleb Sello: Political Parties and Democratisation in Lesotho. EISA Research Report No. 23, EISA, Johannesburg 2005. online (PDF file, English; 997 kB)

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A. Mabille, H. Dieterlen: Sesuto-English Dictionary. Emphasis. Morija Sesuto Book Depot, Morija 1985, p. 138
  2. ↑ Left Politics in Africa at alnef.org.za (English), accessed on June 1, 2012
  3. ^ Scott Rosenberg, Richard W. Weisfelder, Michelle Frisbie-Fulton: Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland / Oxford 2004, ISBN 978-0-8108-4871-9 , p. 329.
  4. ↑ Motlamelle Anthony Kapa: Consolidating Democracy through integra ting the chieftainship institution with elected councils in Lesotho: A Case Study of Four Community Councils in Maseru. PhD thesis at Rhodes University , December 2010 online ( Memento of April 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF file, English; 1.33 MB), accessed on December 28, 2014
  5. ↑ a b c d e Khabele Matlosa, Caleb Sello: Political Parties and Democratisation in Lesotho. EISA Research Report No. 23, EISA, Johannesburg 2005 online (PDF file, English; 997 kB), accessed on May 1, 2017
  6. ↑ Results at iec.org.ls ( Memento from April 2, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (English, PDF)
  7. ↑ Zuma basks in successful mission. ( Memento from March 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) lestimes.com from March 19, 2015 (English)
  8. ^ Final elections tally announced. ( Memento from June 8, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) lestimes.com from June 6, 2017 (English)