There is need for electoral education- IEC report

Kabo Morwaeng.PIC PHATSIMO KAPENG
Kabo Morwaeng.PIC PHATSIMO KAPENG

Parliament has been told that a recently released National Voter Apathy Study has indicated there is inadequate political and electoral education amongst citizens.

As a result, when addressing the National Assembly, Minister of State President Kabo Morwaeng revealed that the report has recommended more funding for the electoral body to fund voter education. “The study, therefore, recommends that the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) be provided with enough resources to improve voter education and that electoral laws be reviewed to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the management of elections,” he said. The Minister added that in a bid to improve service delivery, two new offices have just been established in Hukuntsi and Charles hill.

“This development will ease pressure from the Tsabong and Ghanzi offices which were covering these places and bring electoral services closer to communities in both Ghanzi South and Kgalagadi North constituencies, a matter that has been a concern to some of us honourable colleagues,” Morwaeng said. According to the Minister, the new additions bring the total number of the IEC outstation offices to 27 across the country. He said appropriate steps are being taken by the Secretary of the IEC to resource the new offices adding that there are also efforts to bring electoral services closer to Batswana by opening two more new offices in Goodhope and Moshupa during the 2023-2024 financial year. Morwaeng further presented to Parliament that the report has indicated that some elected representatives are detached from their constituents for the most part of the five-year period and only return to their constituencies during election season.

Editor's Comment
BDP primaries leave a lot to be desired

The BDP as a party known to have ample resources has always held its primaries well in time, but this time around that was not the case. The first leg of the primaries was held last weekend, with the final leg being billed for the coming weekend. This time around, the BDP failed to shine in its primary elections. The elections were chaotic; most if not all polling stations didn't open at the specified time of 6am. Loyal BDP members braved the...

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