Elections are finally here. Tomorrow, Basotho will be going out to elect a government of their preference. Voting is a very important part of any democracy. By voting, Basotho will be participating in the democratic process. They will be voting for leaders to represent them and their ideas, and the leaders support the citizens’ interests.
Moving on, one final test of the free and fairness of the election is the outcome of the election. A quick glance at global trends shows that the ruling parties routinely lose elections in India both at the national and state level. In the US, an incumbent or ‘sitting’ elected representative rarely loses an election.
Past observations reveal that candidates who are known to have spent a lot of money on ‘buying votes’ and those with known criminal connections often lose elections. Barring very few disputed elections, the electoral outcomes are usually accepted as ‘people’s verdict’ by the defeated party.
As Ginsberg and Weissberg point out, ‘every election represents a test and potentially a threat to support for the political regime. Electoral conflicts may strain public acceptance of legal and institutional processes.’ The basic idea is that regime support among citizens in the aftermath of an election depends on the widespread belief that the electoral contest has been resolved in a legitimate fashion’.
In the light of this, we call for calm and peace in tomorrow’s elections. Lesotho’s elections have over the years proven to be basically free and fair. Therefore, we also appeal to political leaders to accept the results of the elections and avoid making reckless and inflammatory utterances which might stir up conflict.
