Seeletso admits EVM rejection
Innocent Selatlhwa | Thursday March 30, 2017 16:38
When addressing residents of Mogoditshane yesterday on the Electoral Amendment Act, Seeletso stated that Batswana have shown displeasure at the way the machine was introduced to them.
“In the meetings we held around the country, it is evident that Batswana are not happy that there was not enough consultation. They state that they would rather have the Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) as they fear the EVM may be manipulated. We will at the end compile a report and state in it that Batswana want the paper trail,” he said.
Seeletso said as the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), they were ready to accept the introduction of the paper trail.
“We cannot say there will be paper trail; we will just hand the report and follow what we are told to do as long as it is legal,” he said.
Mogoditshane residents, as in many other areas, made it known that they did not want the machine as long as it did not have the paper trail. Opposition activists, Richard Moleofe and Phagenyana Phage asked Seeletso to resign as he is denting his image.
“I have known Seeletso as an achiever, a hard worker, but what he is doing now will ruin this country. You will not be proud to be associated with this machine that looks set to cause unrests,” Moleofe said. Seeletso responded by saying he was not a coward and would not step down as the law guided all he was doing.
In response to Seeletso’s address, the area MP Sedirwa Kgoroba stated that, “We know of cases in India where it was ordered that the machine should be used with a paper trail, but Seeletso is not telling you this.
Even in Namibia, there are issues because of lack of paper trail,” he said. Kgoroba suggested to Seeletso that they should conduct a survey or referendum to get the views of the people on the machine.
Even though majority of speakers opposed the machine, there were a few who said they welcomed the machine.
They argued that it would save them time and will enable those who are blind to be able to vote, as there will be provision for braille.
Another issue that residents complained of, as in previous meetings was that of fees to be paid by those contesting elections.
Residents lamented that increasing fees for councillors from P100 to P1,000 and that of legislators from P500 to P5,000 was hefty and would disadvantage many people.