Communiqué of SADC Summit Troika of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation

source: Republic of Botswana (28/2/10) TAUTONA TIMES no 3 of 2010
The Electronic Press Circular of the Office of the President
“Democracy, Development, Dignity, Discipline and Delivery”


C7) Communiqué of SADC Summit Troika of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation



1. Summit of the Troika of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was held in Maseru, Kingdom of Lesotho, from 21 to 22 February 2010.



2. Summit was chaired by His Excellency Armando Emilío Guebuza, President of the Republic of Mozambique and the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.



3. Summit was attended by the following Heads of State and Government or their representatives:



Mozambique - H E President Armando Emilío Guebuza

Swaziland - His Majesty King Mswati III

Zambia - Hon. Dr Kalombo Mwanza, Minister of Defence.



4. Summit was also attended by the Executive Secretary of SADC, Dr Tomaz Augusto Salomão.



5. Summit paid courtesy calls to His Majesty King Letsie III, and the Right Honourable Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.



6. Summit held consultations with the following stakeholders:



(i) Independent Electoral Commission (IEC);

(ii) Christian Council of Lesotho (CCL);

(iii) The Opposition Political Parties; and

(iv) The Government and the Ruling Party Representatives.



7. During these consultations, the Organ Summit Troika emphasized the need for the Basotho people themselves to come up with a lasting solution for the challenges faced by the country using the dialogue to overcome them, however difficult they may be, which requires tolerance and openness.



8. Summit Troika also emphasized that, in this process, peace and political stability have to prevail while addressing the challenges.



9. SADC and its institutions will be available to support the Basotho in finding a lasting solution to the problems they are facing.



10. Taking into consideration the time left from now up to the holding of the next general elections and what remains to be done, the way forward should be as follows:



10.1 SADC reiterates its support to the Christian Council of Lesotho in its role as the mediator in the post-electoral political dialogue;





10.2 SADC will appoint, with immediate effect, a Team of Facilitators to assist the Christian Council of Lesotho in this mediation to provide technical support and to facilitate the communication with the relevant SADC structures;



10.3 SADC will also assist in mobilizing financial resources to support the process.



11. The Christian Council of Lesotho, assisted by the SADC Team of Facilitators, will bring together the stakeholders to agree, through an all inclusive and participatory process, on a Roadmap comprising the following issues:



(a) List of major contentious issues and how to handle them, including, among others, the allocation of responsibilities for what to be done among the different stakeholders;

(b) Timeframe to review the Constitution; and

(c) Timeframe to review the Electoral Law.



12. The Roadmap shall be submitted to the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation by end of March 2010 and will form the basis for the monitoring of the progress achieved in the post-electoral political dialogue.



13. Summit Troika calls upon all stakeholders to the post-electoral political dialogue to ensure their availability and full participation in the process leading to finding a lasting solution to the challenges facing the country, placing the interests of the Basotho nation at heart.

14. Summit Troika will remain seized with the ongoing political dialogue in the country.



15. Summit Troika expressed gratitude to the people and the Government of Lesotho for the warm welcome and hospitality during its stay in the country. The Summit also thanked all the stakeholders for their cooperation in the process of consultations.