What happened after the Basutoland National Party lost the 1970 general election?

In the January 1970 general election, the opposition Basutoland Congress Party (BCP) secured a majority of seats, but the Basutoland National Party (BNP) government refused to release the results.12

Following this, Prime Minister Chief Leabua Jonathan took several authoritarian actions to maintain power:

• Suspension of Governance: He suspended the constitution and declared a state of emergency.13
• Suppression of Opposition: Leading members of the opposition were arrested, and the government utilized legislation, violence, and the distribution of state patronage to control and silence its opponents.12
• Exile of Leadership: The king was temporarily exiled, and many opposition leaders fled the country.13

Although resistance to these measures was met with significant violence, the British government eventually accepted Chief Jonathan’s actions. The BNP maintained this authoritarian rule until 1986, when Chief Jonathan was deposed in a military coup.123