The country is going through a near crisis. The recently released voters’ roll has left many baffled at two fronts. Firstly, the IEC decided to sell the roll at what for many is an exorbitant price. Previously the roll was availed for free and political parties were even given soft copies of the entire roll.
This year without any prior warning the IEC has decided to sell it at P1.75 per page. Each sheet is treated as two pages as the roll is printed back-to-back. Candidates have to purchase the rolls of their different constituencies at sums that are quite extortionate.
Already its quite expensive to run for elections, what with purchasing merchandise, posters, food for campaigners, expenses to traverse the country canvassing for votes and many other costs.
The IEC and its handlers have added another layer of costs which is to pay for the rolls. As always this was done unilaterally without any reference to the stakeholders who are the political parties. This clearly makes accessing and participating in the democratic space expensive.
Secondly, the roll does not comply with the electoral act. It is clear at section 13 of the act that “every roll shall state the surname, other names, sex, postal address, house number or plot number…” but the current draft roll does not supply the plot or house numbers.
Clearly this is a flouting of the electoral act. The IEC has this information, including the telephone numbers of the registered voters, yet for reasons only known to them, they have decided to omit it. It is the responsibility of the IEC to apply the law to the letter in their business of managing the elections on behalf of the nation.
They are clearly failing to do so, and one could be forgiven for believing that they are deliberately withholding such critical information as the house or plot numbers of the voters. It means the candidates do not have equal access to the voter.
Since the IEC itself is not independent it can reasonably be assumed that the data that is excluded from the roll is accessible exclusively to the governing party. Elections cannot be conducted based on trust but rather strictly by the electoral legislation.
The stakes are high, so those tasked with the responsibility to manage the elections should make sure that there’s no reason for anyone to feel that there’s one-sidedness in the process.
I implore Minister Kabo Morwaeng to convene the All Party Conference, as he promised recently, so that it can ensure the process to appoint a new IEC Board takes off. The country needs a new board that can be sensitive, objective, has a fresh and inclusive approach in dealing with the stakeholders.
I implore all the political parties, civil society, and the whole nation to coalesce against the attempt to steal the elections demonstrated by the exclusion of critical information in the roll. It is the right of political aspirants and the whole nation to have a legally compliant roll.
The current roll makes the detection of trafficking impossible, which is probably the real reason why house or plot numbers are excluded. This type of conduct is probably carried out in Zimbabwe but it will not be accepted here.
Rev Dr Prince Dibeela
Gaborone Bonnington North
