Opposition leader Thabane casts his ballot in Lesotho election

Record ID: 878055

  • Title: Opposition leader Thabane casts his ballot in Lesotho election
  • Date: 3rd June 2017
  • Summary: MASERU, LESOTHO (JUNE 3, 2017) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** MOTORCADE CARRYING ALL BASOTHO CONVENTION (ABC) LEADER, THOMAS THABANE, ARRIVING AT POLLING STATION THABANE BEING ESCORTED BY HEAVY SECURITY INTO THE POLLING STATION CLOSE OF SECURITY OFFICER'S SUNGLASSES ELECTION OFFICIAL MARKING THABANE'S FINGER WITH INK ELECTION OFFICIAL DISPLAYING THE VOTERS ROLL TO THABANE VARIOUS OF THABANE IN VOTING BOOTH VARIOUS OF THABANE PLACING HIS VOTE INTO BALLOT BOX MEDIA MEMBERS SURROUNDING THABANE OUTSIDE POLLING STATION THABANE ADDRESSING THE MEDIA CLOSE OF THABANE FAMILY MEMBER LOOKING ON (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALL BASOTHO CONVENTION (ABC) LEADER, THOMAS THABANE, SAYING: "Lesotho must now become a full member of the international community that lives according to the basic principles of democracy. Regular elections are some of those, control of the army, control of the police by civilian authority, all those things are part and parcel of true democracy. This has not happened quite a lot in Africa. I'm meaning before I retire to make Lesotho a beacon of hope for Africa." CLOSE OF SECURITY OFFICER'S SUNGLASSES (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALL BASOTHO CONVENTION (ABC) LEADER, THOMAS THABANE, SAYING: "There is no way we would argue the result. Positive or negative, we will accept the result. But I can assure you, ladies and gentlemen of the press that after accepting the result you are all invited for a celebration." THABANE AND HIS SECURITY TEAM LEAVING THE VOTING STATION PEOPLE QUEUING TO VOTE
  • Embargoed: 17th June 2017 11:15
  • Keywords: Pakalitha Mosilili Thomas Thabane voting election Lesotho
  • Location: MASERU, LESOTHO
  • City: MASERU, LESOTHO
  • Country: Lesotho
  • Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016JQ2LON
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Lesotho's opposition leader Thomas Thabane cast his vote in the country's general election on Saturday (June 3), promising to make the mountainous southern African kingdom a "beacon of hope for Africa" if victorious.
    All Basotho Convention head Thabane, who governed Lesotho from 2012 until 2015, cast his ballot mid-morning at the Makhoakhoeng polling station in the capital Maseru.
    Thabane is the main rival to Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, who lost a confidence vote in parliament in March after several defections by ruling coalition lawmakers to the opposition eroded his support.
    The landlocked country, surrounded by South Africa, has had King Letsie III as head of state since 1996, but political leadership has been volatile in recent years with the last two elections failing to produce a winner with a clear majority.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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