Lesotho elections: newcomers score impressive win, but politics will still be unstable

The 2022 national elections in Lesotho will go down in the country’s history as among the most eventful. A party formed only six months ahead of the legislative election, Revolution for Prosperity, emphatically ended the reign of the All Basotho Convention and the Democratic Congress, which have dominated politics in the kingdom of 2.1 million people since 2012. The rookies won 56 out of 120 parliamentary seats – five seats short of an absolute majority. But the impressive win fell short of a majority that would have ended the era of unstable coalition politics in the country. Sam Matekane, the new party’s leader, has announced a three-member coalition government. The Conversation Africa’s politics editor, Thabo Leshilo, asked Lesotho constitutional law expert Hoolo ‘Nyane for his insights.

What do the results tell us about Lesotho’s electoral politics?

The election results confirm the trend that started in 2012 – that voters have the power