Thousands vote in southern Africa’s small kingdom Lesotho

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME and HERBERT MOYO
Associated Press

MASERU, Lesotho (AP) — Thousands of voters in Lesotho are casting their ballots in the country’s general elections. The elections are a tight race between the top three parties out of a field of more than 60 registered parties. Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Mathibeli Mokhothu of the Democratic Congress party is running against his current coalition partner Nkaku Kabi of the All Basotho Convention and businessman-turned-politician Sam Matekane of the Revolution for Prosperity. Friday has been declared a public holiday to encourage voting in the tiny mountainous kingdom of 2.1 million people. The country is entirely surrounded by South Africa. Whichever party wins enough representatives in Lesotho’s 120-seat National Assembly to form a government will select the new prime minister.