More than 255 Mekoko registered
Correspondent | Thursday June 19, 2014 16:33
When briefing Ntlo ya Dikgosi this week, the IEC executive secretary Gabriel Seeletso said that this year they registered the highest number of independent candidates, usually referred to as ‘mekoko’.
In May, the IEC had recorded 19 independent candidates for parliamentary level, which increased to 26 this month, while for local government the number increased from 200 to 230.
“The number has grown from 2009 elections. In 2009, 132 contested for council seat and 15 contested for parliamentary seats. The number of those people whom you call mekoko may grow from the numbers that we had recorded because we have not yet closed registration for independent candidates,” Seeletso told Dikgosi.
While the registration process has not been without fault, Seeletso said he was impressed with the positive response of the youth towards registering and contesting for political positions.
He said of those registered for the October general elections, 389,870 (47.3%) are youth. Of the total number, women still make the majority of those registered to vote, at 455,869, with men clocking 368,204. This according to Seeletso, shows that 56% of 824,073 are current eligible population and 13.54% more than the 2009 registered voters. He said their target for 2014 was 1,120,000 and they are 26.42% less than the target. In 2009, the IEC target was 650,000.
Seeletso urged Dikgosi to encourage their communities to know the importance of registering for elections, adding that men register in less numbers every election. “Even when we call Kgotla meetings to address your people about the importance of registering, men drag their feet to come to the meetings.”
Ntlo ya Dikgosi chairman Puso Gaborone applauded the commission for the good work and further encouraged them to ensure that elections are free and fair.