political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or po ...
in
Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked as an enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest mountains in Southern Africa. It has an area of over and has a population ...
. The party was formed in October 2006 and founded by
Tom Thabane
Thomas Motsoahae Thabane (born 28 May 1939) is a Mosotho politician who was the fifth prime minister of Lesotho from 2012 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2020. He founded the All Basotho Convention (ABC) in 2006 and led the party until 2022.
Thaban ...
, a former minister in the
Lesotho Congress for Democracy
The Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) is a political party in Lesotho.
In 1997, Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle left the Basutoland Congress Party to form with his faction the new Lesotho Congress for Democracy. The new party won the 1998 el ...
(LCD) led by the government of
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is n ...
Pakalitha Mosisili
Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili (born 14 March 1945) is a former Mosotho politician who was the fourth prime minister of Lesotho from May 1998 to June 2012 and again from March 2015 to June 2017."Lesotho holds elections for new gov't" Associated Press (CBS News), 17 February 2007. Nkaku Kabi has led the party since February 2022.
History
A total of 18 members of parliament crossed the floor to join the opposition ABC party on October 13, 2006; these included Thabane and 16 other former LCD members, along with one independent member, Lehlohonolo Tšehlana, who has previously been expelled from the LCD. , Summary of Events in Lesotho - 3rd quarter 2006, trc.org.ls.
The 18 members of parliament joining the ABC, along with their constituencies, are:
*M. Maliehe (Butha-Buthe)
*Sello Peter Maphalla (Hlotse)
*Mokholane Pita (Maputsoe)
*Lijane Edwin Selikane (Mosalemane)
*Matooane Mokhosi (Bela-Bela)
*Clement S. Machakela (Mahlatsa)
*Mabuo Kojoana (Thupa-Kubu)
*Seeiso Simon Sehloho (Mabote)
*Mokherane Chaltin Tsatsanyane (Stadium Area)
*’Mapheello B. Tšuluba (Qoaling)
*Molobeli Bernard Soulo (Lithoteng)
*Tom Thabane (Abia)
*Molebatsi Khaile (Qeme)
*Freddy Rantelali Shea (’Maletsunyane)
*Retšelisitsoe Ranooe (Kolo)
*Seabata Joseph Monare (Qhalasi)
*’Nyane Mphafi (Thaba-Tseka)
*Lehlohonolo Tšehlana (Mokhotlong)
The ABC became the third largest party in the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
. The ruling party was left with 61 of the 120 parliamentary seats, and the ABC leaders expected more LCD members to defect, which would have given the opposition a majority."New Lesotho political party formed" AFP (IOL), October 13, 2006. In late November, parliament was dissolved and an early election was called for February 2007.Bethuel Thai "Lesotho will go to the polls in February 2007" Reuters (''IOL''), December 1, 2006.
ABC contested the 17 February 2007 Lesotho general elections. It was anticipated that it would win the majority of the urban constituencies. The party won 17 constituency seats, falling far short of the 61 seats won by the LCD."Win was not fair - opposition" AFP (''IOL''), February 21, 2007.
In the June 2017 parliamentary election, the ABC won the most seats (48 out of 120), and, with its allies, it was able to command a majority. Party leader Tom Thabane was sworn in as Prime Minister on 16 June 2017.
In recent years the party has been riddled with divisions and infighting. It initially started out as a power struggle between Thabane and his former deputy, Nqosa Mahao, who had been elected to the national executive committee (NEC) in 2019. Eventually, Mahao left the ABC and formed his own party called the Basotho Action Party in 2021 with 10 other MPs. He accused Thabane, prime minister Majoro, and ABC secretary general Lebohang Hlaele of plotting to oust him from the party. MP Tefo Mapesela also left the party and formed the Basotho Patriotic Party. The splits along with ABC MPs crossing the floor to other parties caused ABC's number of seats in the National Assembly to drop from 50 in May 2020 to only 35 by January 2022.
In 2020, Thabane stepped down as prime minister after being charged with the murder of his ex-wife, Lipolelo Thabane, although the charges were later dropped.
Thabane announced his intention to step down as leader in January 2022, citing his advanced age and ill health. He also wanted to give the party enough time to choose a successor before the upcoming elections. On 2 February, the party elected Nkaku Kabi to succeed Thabane.