Parties: Government of Lesotho (Lesotho Congress for Democracy); opposition parties; Interim Political Authority (IPA)
Type: Intra-state
The October 1998 Agreement held that the opposing parties must work together in search for peace and solutions to the wide political problems in Lesotho. This included the establishment of a political structure, the Interim Political Authority (IPA), which was to facilitate this process by preparing in co-operation with the Government the country for fresh elections in a 15–18-month period. The IPA’s functions would include scrutiny of the present electoral model with a view to reforming it where necessary so that it would take account, in future elections, of every vote cast. Each of the political parties that contested the elections would have two representatives in the IPA.
In the 1999 Agreement the Parties agreed on the need for reconciliation, peace, stability and national unity. The Parties agreed to an amended electoral model and to adopt legislation to give effect to it, and agreed to retire the Independent Electoral Commission and appoint new members. The Parties agreed to establish a Joint Committee of the Government and the IPA to ensure equitable access to the state-owned media for all registered political parties.
