The chairman of Lesotho's opposition alliance, Vincent Malabo, has expressed satisfaction with a draft bill agreed with the government on a transitional body to oversee the next elections.

Mr Malabo said the body was much better than structures previously proposed because it would be empowered to take decisions rather than just make recommendations, and the government would be obliged to abide by them.

The government had previous argued that any transitional body must be subordinate to it.

Agreement on the bill was reached yesterday in discussions chaired by a South African minister Sydney Mufamadi.

Last month South African troops intervened in Lesotho to put down an army mutiny following months of political turmoil over disputed elections results.