04 Jul 2019

Elections should be conducted with professionalism, impartiality and fairness.

Addressing heads of departments during a meeting in Selebi Phikwe, Independent Electoral Commission’s principal elections officer for Selebi Phikwe, Ms Christinah Sesinyi said elections should be conducted with the seriousness it deserved.

She added that elections were sensitive and should adhere to electoral laws, the electoral act and the constitution, noting that elections could make or break a country.

She said returning, presiding and polling officers were charged with a grave duty to ensure and maintain the highest standard of professionalism, impartiality and fairness in conducting elections.

She informed the heads that any officer appointed in accordance with the law who was willfully and without reasonable cause guilty of any act or omission in breach of his official duty shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding P1 000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or to both.

Selebi Phikwe region has 45 polling stations, 21 polling stations in Selebi Phikwe West ad 24 polling stations in Selebi Phikwe East.

Ms Sesinyi said her office required 514 election officers and 120 vehicles for use during the general elections, urging departments to pledge vehicles in good condition as well as responsible and committed drivers. She also urged heads of departments to nominate officers from their departments who were impartial and not active in politics.

She noted that the Public Service Act prohibited active participation of public officers in partisan politics.

“It is a misconduct for an employee to engage in any activity outside his or her official duties which is likely to involve him or her in a political controversy,” she said.

She noted that the public  service general orders, on the other hand, entitled officers to their own political views, but were required to serve all governments with equal loyalty whatever party may be elected.

She urged heads of departments to select officers who were impartial and not active in politics.

She also said they should have botho and integrity, in good standing and with good conduct.

The officers, she said, should have no pending disciplinary cases. She also said they should be committed, willing and passionate, and that they should have registered for elections and have past experience.

A total of 9 433 voters registered at Selebi Phikwe East and 7 488 in Selebi Phikwe West.

She urged the heads to inspect the voters’ roll and check their status on the roll as there were rejections on the roll on account of underage, different names, multiple registrations and non-existent identity cards.

She urged them to check their particulars and report any queries to the IEC office.

She said registered voters could raise objections and any person whose name was included in a roll for any constituency he had registered in could raise objections. Ends