26 Aug 2019

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in Kweneng District is inundated with high numbers of voter transfers.

This was revealed during a sensitisation workshop for all Kweneng District prospective parliamentary and council candidates  in Molepolole recently aimed at preparing  candidates for the October polls.

Although many issues were discussed including the state of preparedness as well as nomination schedules for both presidential and local government during the polls, candidates did not hesitate to state that voter transfers worried all candidates across the political divide.

Prospective candidates said the transfers should sound an alarm given the overwhelming numbers at the IEC offices on a daily basis.  The transfers, they alleged, encouraged voter trafficking.

Prospective candidates said stringent measures should be taken against those who were found to have violated the Electoral Act.

They also expressed concern on voter apathy, stressing that the IEC should do more public education campaigns to address the issue.

Mr Modisaemang Koboa, a prospective candidate under the UDC banner for Magokotswane ward which falls under Molepolole North constituency, stressed that the IEC should make sure the law was practiced concerning voter registration.  He discouraged the IEC from being lenient because other people would  take advantage of the prevailing situation.

He also suggested that to resolve voter trafficking and voter apathy registration should be done throughout the year rather than during the election period.

The UDC’s prospective councillor for Borakalalo ward under Molepolole North constituency, Mr Arafat Khan called for the independence of the IEC, arguing that the IEC was not completely independent because the sitting president still had authority over the IEC.  He noted that the President was the only one who decided the day of elections. 

 This, he said, showed that the President could hold everyone at ransom and do things to favour his party.

MP hopeful under the Alliance for Progressives for Molepolole North constituency, Mr Twoba Koontse demanded that the IEC should avail a list of transfers to all candidates so that they could determine whether those transfers were legitimate.

Responding to candidates’ concerns, chief elections officer, Ms Motlapele Raleru acknowledged the  concerns as expressed by candidates.

She stated that the commission had received overwhelming numbers of voter transfers and  a high number of independent candidates. She said they had registered about 254 independent candidates for local government and about 20 for parliament.

She also noted that they had dealt with a lot of objections amounting to over 1 500 so far.  Voter apathy still remains a problem for the commission. 

 In order to address the issue of voter apathy, Ms Raleru indicated that there was a study that was done in 2002 concerning the youth vote. “This study is old,” she said,  adding that  the IEC would  conduct another study post elections.  She highlighted that the youth were mostly affected by voter apathy. 

The IEC has since held youth forums and appointed youth ambassadors to deal with the factors.

On other issues, Ms Raleru emphasised that registration was done where a voter had accommodation or a place they called home.  She also noted that they would do more to curb illegal registrations. 

 She, however, said the Electoral Act did not allow them to give out a list of voter transfers to candidates.

On the independence of the commission, she said they had proposed an enactment of the bill calling for complete independence of the electoral commission.

The workshop sought to share with prospective candidates the state of preparedness for the 2019 general elections. Ends