National Agenda : Lesotho's Throne:
All in the Family : In a move to ensure stability, Moshoeshoe II is reinstated as king after abdication of son who replaced him.
February 14, 1995|HUGH POPE | SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
http://articles.latimes.com/1995-02-14/news/wr-31935_1_king-moshoeshoe-ii
Summary:
The problem with the American flag had been spotted, and it was turned right side up. Cub Scouts sporting woolly loincloths and porcupine-quill headdresses had taken their places.The crowd was hushed as outgoing King Letsie III, 32, descended from a makeshift throne, signed away his crown with a flourish and took a seat at the back of the VIP pavilion. There, almost visibly relieved, he popped open a can of cola. A graduate of Britain's Oxford University, vowed never again to meddle in politics, a habit that dethroned him once and exiled him twice from the mountainous country that likes to call itself the Roof of Africa.
Observations:
the most important actor in Lesotho's drama has been South African President Nelson Mandela played the key role in forcing Lesotho's factions to compromise instead of fight.Political analysts believe the enforcement of a smooth transfer of power by a mix of diplomacy and military threats was the first sign of Mandela's government acting as a visible force for good on the southern tip of the African continent.
Political Ties:
Skepticism that the reinstated monarch will keep his vow of non-interference was barely concealed by Ntsu Mokhehle, 77, the frail prime minister and a veteran opponent of the king. He told the crowd that only outside guarantees had persuaded him to allow the king back on the throne. Both times Mokhehle's left-wing party won elections, in 1970 and 1993, palace coups and machinations in the army kept it from exercising real power.
All in the Family : In a move to ensure stability, Moshoeshoe II is reinstated as king after abdication of son who replaced him.
February 14, 1995|HUGH POPE | SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
http://articles.latimes.com/1995-02-14/news/wr-31935_1_king-moshoeshoe-ii
Summary:
The problem with the American flag had been spotted, and it was turned right side up. Cub Scouts sporting woolly loincloths and porcupine-quill headdresses had taken their places.The crowd was hushed as outgoing King Letsie III, 32, descended from a makeshift throne, signed away his crown with a flourish and took a seat at the back of the VIP pavilion. There, almost visibly relieved, he popped open a can of cola. A graduate of Britain's Oxford University, vowed never again to meddle in politics, a habit that dethroned him once and exiled him twice from the mountainous country that likes to call itself the Roof of Africa.
Observations:
the most important actor in Lesotho's drama has been South African President Nelson Mandela played the key role in forcing Lesotho's factions to compromise instead of fight.Political analysts believe the enforcement of a smooth transfer of power by a mix of diplomacy and military threats was the first sign of Mandela's government acting as a visible force for good on the southern tip of the African continent.
Political Ties:
Skepticism that the reinstated monarch will keep his vow of non-interference was barely concealed by Ntsu Mokhehle, 77, the frail prime minister and a veteran opponent of the king. He told the crowd that only outside guarantees had persuaded him to allow the king back on the throne. Both times Mokhehle's left-wing party won elections, in 1970 and 1993, palace coups and machinations in the army kept it from exercising real power.