Lesotho's Prime Minister Thomas Thabane's All Basotho Convention (ABC) continued its lead in the country's snap elections, according to early results released so far.

Of 80 constituencies, the ABC won 35, far ahead of all other parties, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said.

Thabane's political rival, Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing's Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) has managed to get two constituencies so far.

The major opposition, Democratic Congress (DC), led by former Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, won 10 constituencies.

A total of 47 of the 80 constituencies had finished their vote counts by Monday. Final results are expected by Thursday.

Voters in Lesotho went to the polls on Saturday for an early election designed to end a political impasse in the kingdom.

The election was held about two years ahead of schedule under a political deal brokered by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), following an attempted coup in August last year.

SADC on Monday gave its nod to the elections, which it said "were peaceful, transparent, credible, free and fair, thus reflecting the will of the people of the Kingdom of Lesotho".

In this regard, SADC urged all political parties and candidates to accept the outcome of the election and encouraged any political party or candidate that may wish to challenge the election results to do so in accordance with the laws of the country.