The head of Lesotho's ruling party turned down Prime Minister Thomas Thabane's demands for immunity from prosecution in connection with the shooting death of his former wife in the southern African kingdom.
The decision by the leader of the All Basotho Convention (ABC) party is the latest in a week of setbacks for the 80-year-old embattled leader, who is facing pressure to resign before the end of July, as he promised.
Earlier this week, a magistrate ruled that Lesotho's High court will decide if Thabane can claim immunity from a charge that he murdered his former wife.
Also this week, the Senate modified the constitution, limiting the prime minister's powers to dissolve parliament and call fresh elections.
A leader of the opposition party, the Democratic Congress (DC), Motlalentoa Letsosa, told the French News Agency (AFP ) that Thabane has run out of options and the only thing that's left for him is to leave.
Thabane recently rejected an offer by Lesotho's coalition government and South African mediators to step down with a dignified retirement.
Police charged Thabane's wife, first lady Maesaiah Thabane, with the murder of his previous wife, Lipolelo Thabane, outside her home in Maseru, Lesotho's capital, just before his June 2017 inauguration.
The killing occurred two days before the prime minister's inauguration for a second term, and two years after a court ruled that Lipolelo was the lawful first lady and entitled to benefits. Thabane married his current wife some two months after Lipolelo's death.
Two weeks ago police interrogated the prime minister over the alleged use of his mobile phone to communicate with whoever was at the scene of the killing.
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