By: Mohau Qhotsokoane
MASERU
On Tuesday, 4 August, BAM Group Foundation (BGF) honoured an invitation from the National Assembly of Lesotho to appear before the Portfolio Committee on the Law and Public Safety Cluster. The committee is a parliamentary oversight body responsible for scrutinising government performance and considering amendments to legislation before Parliament.
Following the publication of the National Assembly Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 2026, BGF, through the Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) Leadership Initiative, presented its recommendations on the proposed electoral model known as the “Best Loser Model.”
The Best Loser Model proposes that Proportional Representation (PR) seats be allocated based on the highest number of votes received by unsuccessful candidates during elections. This would replace the current system, under which PR seats are allocated from party lists compiled by political party executives and submitted to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) before elections.
Prior to appearing before the parliamentary committee, BGF convened consultations with members of its WYDE Coalition Network, comprising women leaders, youth representatives, persons with disabilities, civil society organisations, political party representatives, governance practitioners, and other key stakeholders. One of the core pillars of the WYDE Leadership Initiative is to build partnerships and promote collective action to influence public policy in favour of the meaningful inclusion of women, young people, and persons with disabilities.
During the committee proceedings, BGF and the WYDE Coalition and Advocacy Network acknowledged the significant progress Lesotho has made in advancing women’s political participation through the PR Zebra Model. However, they emphasised that similar measures should now be extended to improve the representation of young people and persons with disabilities.
The coalition recommended that Parliament adopt the objectives of the Bill while introducing safeguards and clarifications that enhance fairness and inclusivity for all categories of candidates. The coalition expressed support for the intention behind the proposed reforms, noting that an improved electoral system should reward electoral performance, strengthen accountability, and continue to ensure that Parliament reflects the diversity of the people of Lesotho.
To this end, the coalition submitted eight recommendations:
1. Support the Best Loser principle while providing clear provisions for independent candidates.
2. Reserve a proportionate number of PR seats prioritised for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
3. Require political parties to submit inclusive constituency nominations.
4. Strengthen civic and voter education programmes.
5. Remove barriers that hinder the participation of persons with disabilities.
6. Maintain and strengthen the Zebra Model principle while integrating youth representation into a three tiered model.
7. Consider a hybrid electoral model with safeguards for party leadership representation.
8. Clarify the treatment of political parties with incomplete constituency coverage and define the role of independent candidates within the proposed system.
In his remarks, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on the Law and Public Safety Cluster, Hon. Mokoena Ramakatsa, commended BAM Group Foundation and its civil society partners under the WYDE Leadership Initiative for their continued advocacy to promote the inclusion of women, young people, and persons with disabilities in Lesotho’s democratic processes.
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