MELS leader eyes the presidency

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Friday August 28, 2009 00:00

'In 2004 we had 12,000 (supporters) and now we have grown to 18,000. So I am hopeful that this time if the IEC has done its job well as they allege, I will be nominated (as presidential candidate),' he said. MELS has never nominated a presidential candidate because it failed to raise the required 1,000 supporters.

Meanwhile, chief elections officer, Dintle Rapoo has dismissed Joina's accusations that the IEC failed to appoint authenticating officers throughout the whole country in the last general election. He said that this year, they have once again appointed authenticating officers in all parts of the country. He said that all police commanding officers and station commanders have been given authenticating powers to determine supporters of a party in their beats.

'We have also given them IEC stamps and they know what their role will be in this time of elections. I also wrote letters to political parties inviting them to come and get nomination forms for presidential candidates,' he said.

Rapoo was reacting to Joina's claims that the IEC has failed to give authenticating authority to police officers in remote areas.

The MELS leader has said that in 2004 general elections, they experienced setbacks especially in remote areas like the Kgalagadi region where station commanders said they not aware of authenticating authority given them by the IEC. Joina, who has always been the party's presidential candidate said his supporters who are largely in the remote areas were therefore not able to nominate him for the presidency.

'Unlike the big parties like the Botswana Democratic Party, Botswana National Front and others who can just easily get 1,000 supporters in Gaborone, ours is a small party that is strong in the remote areas, hence we were dealt a debilitating blow. The IEC should sensitise all the officers who are supposed to carry out this duty of authentication throughout the country,' he said.