Upstart party wins in Lesotho polls, must form coalition

By HERBERT MOYO
Associated Press

MASERU, Lesotho (AP) — Lesotho business mogul Sam Matekane’s upstart party, Revolution for Prosperity, has won 56 of the 120 constituencies in the general elections. The results were announced by the Independent Electoral Commission on Monday afternoon. Celebrations have erupted on the streets of the capital, Maseru, upon the news of the strong showing of Matekane’s party. The Revolution for Prosperity party attracted support from young voters eager for change in Lesotho, a constitutional kingdom of 2.1 million people entirely surrounded by South Africa’s Drakensberg mountains. However Matekane, 64, fell short of his goal of winning an outright majority and will have to find a coalition partner as his party is five seats shy of a 61-seat majority.