Maseru — Lesotho Tribune has just been reliably informed that one of the candidates who failed to make it onto the shortlist for appointment as an Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Commissioner, Mr. Khosi Makubakube, has filed an urgent court application seeking to interdict the Council of State from proceeding with the appointments.

Sources close to the matter say Mr. Makubakube, a known member of the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) and parliamentary coordinator for Deputy Prime Minister Nthomeng Majara, was disqualified after the Attorney General’s legal opinion advised that he qualified as a civil servant, since he is remunerated from the Consolidated Fund.

According to Section 66(6) of Lesotho’s Constitution, a person who is a public officer, other than a judge, is ineligible for appointment as an IEC Commissioner. The same provision also disqualifies office bearers of political parties and members of Parliament or local authorities.

The case, which is expected to test the integrity of the IEC selection process, comes as the Council of State prepares to choose three commissioners from a list of five candidates submitted by political parties.

Lesotho Tribune’s efforts to reach Mr. Makubakube for comment were unsuccessful as his mobile phone was unavailable at the time of publication.