12 Jan 2022

The recently announced nationwide supplementary voter registration exercise will have no effect on Ledumadumane East ward bye-election, Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) manager for election affairs and field operations, Mr Dintle Rapoo said in an interview on Wednesday.

The IEC recently announced the dates of the supplementary voter registration as from 17 January up to 31 March 2022.

The dates cover February 5, which has been set aside for Ledumadumane East ward bye-election.

Mr Rapoo said all those who would register during the supplementary voter registration were not eligible to cast their votes during the Ledumadumane East bye-election.

“Even if they register, the voters’ roll will not have matured by then,” he said.

He said for the supplementary voters roll to mature, it had to wait until 31 March in order to be compiled by the commission and to be inspected by the public before forming part of the initial 2019 general elections voters roll.

He added that it would not be possible for Ledumadumne East ward to have new voters in the voters roll other than those who registered in 2019 or transferred before the vacancy was declared.

He said although transfers were normally carried out throughout the year, the IEC had the power to suspend transfers for a ward or constituency whenever there was a vacancy.

Mr Rapoo also noted that the commission was empowered to call for a supplementary voter registration after the elections, adding that it was not the first time that the IEC had called for supplementary voter registration after the elections.

He said supplementary registration did not disadvantage any political party or was intended to sway elections in anyone’s favour.

“It is an apolitical exercise for all those who are qualifying,” he said, adding that the commission did not require political party affiliation for people registering others.

The move, he said, was meant to give an opportunity to those who had not registered for the 2019 general elections to register. He also noted that the roll would be in use until the next general elections.

He noted that some people had not have registered as they turned 18 years after the cutoff date of 28 April 2019 or were not entered into the voters roll for different reasons. He said those who were not in the voters roll should take the opportunity, as it would give them the right to participate in bye-elections, snap elections or referendums before the 2024 general elections.

He added that the supplementary voter registration would be done at their offices during working hours. Ends