1970 Lesotho general election

Lesotho Legislative 1966 1965 Basutoland general election 1965 27-28 January 1970 1985 Lesotho general election 1985 60 seats in the National Assembly 31 Minister-president_Jonathan_van_Lesotho_(1970).jpg Leabua Jonathan BNP 23 42.01%, 31 seats 0.22pp 8 129,434 42.23% Ntsu_Mokhehle.png Ntsu Mokhehle BCP 36 40.04%, 25 seats 11 9.84pp 152,907 49.88% 110px Seth Makotoko MFP 15.70%, 4 seats 1 3 22,279 7.27% 8.43pp Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan BNP Coup d'état General elections were held in Lesotho on 27 and 28 January 1970, the first since independence in 1966. They were won by the opposition Basutoland Congress Party.Dieter Nohlen, Michael Krennerich & Bernhard Thibaut (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p. 502. 0-19-829645-2 However, without announcing the results, the ruling Basotho National Party carried out a coup d'état by declaring a state of emergency, annulling the election, dissolving parliament and suspending the constitution.Lesotho: Authoritarian rule, 1970-1991 EISA King Moshoeshoe II was sent into exile after expressing disapproval of the actions. Leabua Jonathan then ruled the country as a dictator until 1986 when a military coup d'état led by Major General Justin Lekhanya deposed him. Lesotho did not return to democratic rule until the 1993 elections, which were again won by the BCP in a landslide victory. Results Official results were never published, but figures were made available by election observers.Nohlen et al., p501 Basutoland Congress Party 152907 36 +11 Basotho National Party 129434 23 –8 Marematlou Freedom Party 22279 1 –3 United Democratic Party 345 0 New Communist Party of Lesotho 68 0 0 red Independents 1496 0 0 0 Macartney References Lesotho Category:Elections in Lesotho General Category:Annulled elections Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results