Lesotho’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has established a security committee as the body moves to ensure that general elections set for October are conducted in a safe environment.
IEC commissioner Tšoue Petlane said the National Joint Operation Centre (NATJOC) is a committee mandated to provide security and ensure that the country holds free and fair elections.
He said the NATJOC had a mandate to ensure that peaceful conditions exist before, during and after the general elections set for October 7.
The committee, which comprises police officers, intelligence operatives and army officials, is expected to remain operational for a month after the elections to ensure there is no post-election violence.
The country has witnessed political turbulence over the recent past, with at least three elections held between 2012 and 2017.
At least 65 political parties are expected to participate in the watershed polls in which the leader of the party with the highest number of votes would appoint a prime minister.
Advance voting is expected on 30 September for public servants who work in Lesotho embassies, government officials who will have to travel outside the country on election day on government business, political party agents, polling officers, security forces who will be on duty during the elections, election observers, private security officials, medical assistants working on IEC stations, and journalists that will be on duty.
JN/APA