19 Feb 2014

The exercise which guided the realignment of polling districts’ boundaries and establishment of polling stations by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) relied on population of the localities under review and distances between human settlements.

The Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri said the number of polling stations was naturally affected by such realignment and some constituencies lost some of the localities to other constituencies, such as Mabesekwa, Mokubilo and Mmea villages.

He noted that in the exercise, population of the settlement, centrality of the particular point to be designated as a polling station were paramount, safety of both election officers and voters were also considered.The IEC set a standard radius of five kilometers from a polling station and only minimum variations were allowed.

He said it was not the view of IEC secretary that the location of the polling stations in reference contributed to low registration of voters in Marobela polling district, and others in the constituency during 2013 general voter registration.

Mr Matlhabaphiri said that before the current realignment of constituency boundaries, the constituency had registered 12 680 voters after three registration phases for the 2009 general elections.

In the recent past completed general voter registration, he said, the constituency registered 9 251 voters for the 2014 general elections, a clear indication that the constituency did relatively well, particularly after only one voter registration attempt.

The proximity of polling stations to communities in the locality was taken into consideration during the demarcation exercise, and the outcome therefrom was the most ideal given the population distribution in the polling district and the rest of the constituency to require further review, he said.

Mr Matlhabaphiri was answering a question from the Member of Parliament for Tonota North, Mr Fidelis Molao who had asked whether the distance to polling stations was considered when the IEC reduced the number of polling stations in the new Shashe West constituency during the last demarcation exercise.

MP Molao also asked the minister whether the situation has not contributed to the low registration of voters in the polling district and other polling districts in the constituency.

He wanted to know whether the decision would be revisited to enable voters to register and vote near where they stay. ENDS