Foreign votes cost P1.8 million

The money was used to register the external voters, to finance the polling exercise and to transport the ballots back to the country for counting.  It is said that 1,646 Batswana residing abroad registered for the 2009 general elections but only 571 voted. "An amount of P1.8 million was spent on the preparations and conduct of the exercise, which translates into a unit cost of approximately P3,152.36 per voter," Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mokgweetsi Masisi said in Parliament.

He was responding to a question by the MP for Kweneng East, Moeng Pheto who wanted to know the number of people who registered externally for the 2009 general elections, how many of them voted, the cost and whether it was value for money and sustainable in the long run.