Hope for IEC as more voters register
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Thursday May 8, 2014 14:40
The IEC spokesperson, Osupile Maroba has told Mmegi that so far, the exercise has netted 21,967 voters from May 1-4. He hopes they will reach their 1.2 million target. 'We have no doubt that we can reach our target. It seems Batswana are now coming to register. The politicians are also helping us a lot by encouraging their members and the public to register. The public is taking the issue seriously,' he said.
He said they are doing all they can to reach people and encourage them to register. Tlokweng constituency is leading the pack with 706 registered voters in the supplementary exercise. Second is Lentsweletau/Mmopane with 624. The Kgalagadi North and Ghanzi North are doing badly with 148 and 158 respectively.
The IEC spokesperson said they are still encountering people who believe they have voted after doing so during political party primaries. He said they are educating the ignorant people about the difference between general elections and primary elections.
The other challenge is that of people who want to register in locations that they are not residing in just because they prefer a certain candidate. Marobela said that transfers are done when necessary and with valid reasons. He requested the youth to keep registering in large numbers and to take their vote seriously.
'I know some have a tendency of saying they will register on the last day. That attitude is not good at all because it may cost her/him on that closing day. Let us all register in time,' he appealed. The supplementary voter registration started on May 1 and ends on May 18.