Voter registration postponed as IEC, UDC squabble

MOMPATI TLHANKANE | Wednesday November 1, 2023 09:31

The period which officially starts the election cycle was supposed to run from November 1 to November 30, 2023 but it will now run from November 13 to December 8, 2023. The Francistown High court’s Justice Gaolapelwe Ketlogetswe yesterday issued a rule nisi calling the respondent ,being the IEC and other interested parties to show cause on November 7, 2023 why the UDC registration clerks should be interdicted and restrained from monitoring the national elections registration process.

The court decision meant that the UDC observers were supposed to temporarily start their observation today until the court’s final determination on November 7. The IEC’s swift move to amend the registration period means that the UDC observers won’t go near their polling stations until the matter is made a final order by the High Court.

Yesterday’s order was to allow the UDC clerks to record the names and national identity card numbers of the people registering to vote and record the serial numbers of the people registering to vote. In addition, the UDC agents were to be allowed to record the serial numbers of the registration booklets for each and every registration day at the opening and closing thereof.

The IEC and the UDC will return to court on November 7, 2023 where the IEC is expected to object the UDC’s quest to have their registration clerks monitor the registration.