“The prime minister resigned … this morning and has submitted his resignation letter to His Majesty King Letsie III,” Monyane Moleleki, deputy to Mosisili in the Democratic Congress party said, reading a statement issued by the government secretary’s office. The cabinet also resigned.
He said the king in this constitutional monarchy surrounded bySouth Africa “commanded the prime minister to remain in office until the appointment of the next prime minister.”
The constitutional monarchy tucked between mountains will have its first coalition government after opposition parties late Tuesday united to bring down the long-time leader.
Mosisili’s party said it was in powersharing talks with other parties and vowed it would concede defeat if it failed to clinch a deal.
“We know its not going to be a walk in the park and we are prepared for any outcome,” Moleleki said.
“We want to lead by example and be the first party to accept defeat peacefully.”
Mosisili’s resignation follows a disappointing show in Saturday polls, where his Democratic Congress(DC) won only 48 seats in the 120-seat parliament.
A Gallup poll last month ranked him among Africa’s five most despised leaders, with only 39 percent approving of his job performance, placing him alongside the likes of Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe.