Coup Chasing!

So apparently I’m a “coup magnet.”  Thailand, Lesotho – they just follow me wherever I go. Although the Thai coup happened before I got there – so in that case, I guess I was a “coup chaser.”  Politics in Lesotho are, obviously, quite interesting right now.  The current Prime Minister got the King to let him suspend Parliament – which is actually an option written into the Lesotho Constitution – for 9 months because he feared they would give him a vote of “no confidence” and force his ouster.

The Deputy Prime Minister, from another political party, of course wants Parliament back in session, so he called for a “peaceful demonstration”/march for Monday (while you lazy Americans have the day off for Labor Day).  But, apparently, some folks couldn’t wait for the fun to start, and got the ball rolling early Saturday morning when the Lesotho Army decided to surround the main Police Headquarters (the former supports the DPM while the latter support the PM).  Anyway, life goes on in most of the capital, and after getting my “Embassy alert” and chatting with the other Peace Corps managers, I still went to the mall for breakfast and sheer curiosity Saturday morning.  And all I saw was everyone going about their regular lives.  Even though the main police stations is like 4-5 blocks away.

If things get too hairy, I guess the Lesotho air force will have to deploy their ONE helicopter – but that’s assuming it’s actually in working order AND they have the paraffin needed to get it in the air.  Seriously, I couldn’t make that up!

But to be honest, I was much more excited about the brief hailstorm we had last week when I went to the Embassy for a meeting.  My PC driver wouldn’t let me get out of the car as it started hailing just as we pulled up to the building where the meeting was.  The hail was about marble size (shooter marbles) and came down long enough to pretty much completely cover the ground.  Not only was I enthralled, but one of the Embassy employees came out to stand under the eave and take pictures – cheerily waving at me in the car.  I have to admit, it’s kinda cool living in a place with “real” weather – shades of Oklahoma!

UPDATE ON THE “COUP”: So the PM fled the country after the “attempted coup” by the military – which they deny was a coup even though if ANYONE is running the country right now it’s the military.  he “top cop” was killed and the army stormed and/or surrounded various police stations, scaring off all the high ranking officers who followed the PM to S. Africa.  The rest of the police pretty much disbanded so they wouldn’t get taken out by the military – although some officers are supposedly working as “plainclothes” police.

The Monday march was cancelled, who knows why, but maybe because no one is really in charge.  The Deputy PM went to S. Africa to engage in talks led by the S.A. President.  Although he is not trusted since it was his political minion, the current (kind of) head of the military who launched this latest brouhaha by refusing to step down upon order of the King and Prime Minister.  Their replacement tried to take his office/duties, and was promptly shot at, so HE fled the country, too. 

While it has remained relatively quiet in the capital (beyond the army’s threatening of the police), there has been a real concern amongst locals, the Embassy/State Dept., etc. that things could devolve very quickly – particularly since there are no police.  i.e., what’s to stop someone from just going to the mall and robbing it? 

SO, the “core staff” got called in to the office on our Labor Day holiday to strategize.  After discussion, and after being notified that the Embassy evacuated all family members of State Dept. employees, we called all volunteers to be on “Standfast” which means they could go about their work, but not to leave their villages, not to travel, etc.  After more back and forth, some posturing from the Lesotho PM who asked the S. African military to come and restore order (and him to office, of course), and a conference call with PC HQ in DC (dig those acronyms!), we decided to go ahead and move to the next stage and “consolidate” all volunteers.  This basically means they all leave their villages to a pre-determined meeting point/hotel so they will be all together in just 4-5 groups – all near the border for quicker/easier evacuation, if necessary.

So then we had to call them all to give them that directive to go to their consolidation point first thing in the morning.  At the end of the day, my “Labor Day Holiday” actually consisted of a 13-hour day at the office!  “Yay!”

The Embassy also “strongly suggested” that me and the other 2 Americans staying at the same hotel with me move to a “secure” private residence.  (I haven’t yet moved into my house because the guy I’m replacing still has one more week here).  I passed on that for now, but we’ll see how things go.

So that’s where things stand right now.  I have to say, although I am basing this purely on my own gut since I’ve only been in the country for 3 weeks, I’m not really that concerned.  The sense I get is that a lot of these guys are just “playing war” – although there is, of course, a genuine power struggle going on.  I could be wrong, but my wild guess is that, at worst, the S. African (or, technically, SADC) forces will come in to make sure things don’t get nasty, the PM will return and he will either be forced to recall Parliament, or not with the understanding that new elections will be held at the end of the 9 month suspension (which is the limit the Parliament can be suspended according to the Constitution).  Of, course, I guess it’s also possible things could devolve very quickly, anarchy will ensue, and this will be the last post you’ll ever see from me.  ;)