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Lesotho's Prime Minister resigns over allegations of murdering estranged wife
WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: May 20, 2020, 08:58 AM IST
File photo: Thomas Motsoahae Thabane, Prime Minister of Lesotho addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York. Photograph:(Reuters)
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The official resignation comes after the 80-year-old Thabane repeatedly said that he would retire.
Lesotho's Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has resigned after months of pressure over his alleged involvement in the murder of his estranged wife in 2017.
In a televised address Tuesday morning, Thabane said the time had come for him to retire "from the great theater of action, take leave from public office." He blamed his resignation on rival politicians seeking political gain.
Thabane's former wife, Lipolelo, was shot by gunmen shortly before his inauguration as the Prime Minister of the tiny African nation. The couple were separated and had been pursuing a divorce before her death.
His current wife, Maesaiah Thabane, has been charged in the murder and has been granted bail.
The country's police also sought to charge the Prime Minister with Thabane's murder, but his lawyers argue he should be granted immunity against prosecution.
The official resignation comes after the 80-year-old Thabane repeatedly said that he would retire.