How to (Legally) Manipulate an Election

The ruling party of Lesotho has managed to steal, entirely within the letter of the law, almost a quarter of the seats in last weekend’s national election. Neither donors nor media seem interested in covering the irregularities. But the trouble is plain in the published numbers for all to see.

So begins a cutting post at Maseru Observer. It is disturbingly impressive to read how Lesotho's two major political parties have exploited the electoral rules to earn themselves about a third more seats in parliament than they were due.

The ABC are protesting the results of four individual district counts, but it seems like the wholesale trickery is a much bigger issue. Like most elections in Lesotho, it is looking like this one is going to be in the courts for a long time.

Read the post. It's a fascinating exposition of how anything less than perfection in electoral rules can result in seriously distorted results.