Citizen perceptions of democracy, governance, and political crisis in Lesotho

Type Working Paper - Afrobarometer Working Paper no. 13
Title Citizen perceptions of democracy, governance, and political crisis in Lesotho
Author(s)
Issue 13
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2001
Page numbers 1-32
URL http://afrobarometer.org/publications/wp13-citizen-perceptions-democracy-governance-and-political-cr​isis-lesotho
Abstract
Lesotho has been governed in many different ways since its founding as a nation in the mid-19th century, including episodes of both democratic and authoritarian rule. This history is reflected in the ambivalence shown by Basotho in response to questions on an Afrobarometer questionaire administered in early 2000. Almost half the sampled population were unable to define democracy, a figure higher than in any other southern African country. Roughly half did not support democracy, and only slightly over half felt that the recent election was conducted in a proper way, figures which also diverged from the more positive experience with democracy of most other countries in the survey. Party affiliation is a major determinant of attitudes toward democracy, reflecting the polarization of the country after the contested 1998 election and the subsequent riots and destruction of buildings in major cities.

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