Marematlou Freedom Party

The Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP) is a royalist[2] political party in Lesotho.

Marematlou Freedom Party
LeaderMoeketse Malebo
Founded1962 (1962)
IdeologyConservatism
Royalism[1]
National Assembly
0 / 120
Politics of Lesotho
Constitution
Monarchy
Government
Parliament
Judiciary
Administrative divisions
Elections
Foreign relations

History

The party was established in December 1962 by a merger of the Freedom Party and the Marema-Tlou Party (MTP).[3] Soon after its formation several members of the Basutoland Congress Party defected to the MFP.[3]

When former MTP leader Seepheephe Matete was replaced as party president by Seth Makotoko he broke away to re-establish the MTP as a separate party.[4] Both contested the 1965 general elections, with the MFP winning four seats with 16.5% of the vote and the MTP no seats with 2.2% of the vote.

In the 1970 general elections the party's vote share fell to 7%, resulting in it being reduced to a single seat.

When multi-party democracy was restored in the 1990s the party contested the 1993 elections, receiving 1.4% of the vote and failing to win a seat. It remained seatless after receiving 1.3% of the vote in the 1998 elections. Despite its vote share falling to 1.2% in the 2002 elections, the party won a seat due to the new proportional electoral system. It retained the single seat in the 2007, 2012 and 2015 elections.

Electoral Performance
Election Proportional Costituency Seats +/- Government
Votes Share Votes Share
1965 40,414 15.70 —
4 / 60
 New Opposition
1970 22,279 7.27 —
1 / 60
 Decrease 3 BNP coup d'état
1985 Did not contest —
0 / 60
 Decrease 1 Extra-parliamentary
1993 7,650 1.44 —
0 / 65
 Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
1998 7,546 1.27 —
0 / 89
 Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
2002 6,890 1.24 7,723 1.44
1 / 120
 Increase 1 Opposition
2007 9,129 2.06 5,106 1.19
1 / 120
 Steady 0 Opposition
2012 3,300 0.60 —
1 / 120
 Steady 0 Coalition
2015 3,413 0.60 —
1 / 120
 Steady 0 Opposition
2017 2,761 0.47 —
1 / 120
 Steady 0 Opposition
2022 1,764 0.34 —
0 / 120
 Decrease 1 Extra-parliamentary


References
  1. https://africaelects.com/lesotho/ Lesotho - Africa Elects
  2. Ladouceur, P. (1972). Voltaic Political Life - Genèse de la Haute-Volta. Albert Salfo Balima. Ouagadougou: Presses Africaines , [1970]. 253 pp. 750 CFA Frs. - Evolution de la Haute-Volta de 1898 au 3 janvier 1966. Francois Djoby Bassolet. Ouagadougou: Imprimerie Nationale, 1968. 135 PP. 15.40 FF. - Le redressement financier de la République de Haute-Volta. Tiemoko Marc Garango. Ouagadougou: Presses Africaines, 1971. 96 pp. 200 CFA Frs. - Connaissance de la Haute-Volta. Haute-Volta, Ministers Des Finances Et Du Commerce. Ouagadougou et Paris, 1970. 124 pp. 650 CFA Frs. African Studies Review, 15(3), 521-527. doi:10.2307/523392
  3. Scott Rosenberg, Richard F Weisfelder & Michell Frisbie-Fulton (2003) Historical Dictionary of Lesotho, Scarecrow Press, p. 222.
  4. Rosenberg et al., p. 223.
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