07 Apr 2013

 Chairperson of the Demarcation Committee, Mr Richard Senthumoleng has appealed to the public to consider moving away from setting polling stations in open spaces during general elections.

 Addressing residents of Boswelatlou ward during a Demarcation Committee consultative meeting in Lobatse recently, Mr Senthumoleng said harsh climatic conditions, unavailability of public toilets and electricity could affect voter turn-out, hence the need to use buildings as polling stations.

 He said in Lobatse, 20 tents were pitched up as polling stations and five of them were in the Lobatse farms.

Mr Senthumuleng said Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) experienced problems in areas where tents were pitched up such as lack of electricity, water and toilets.

He informed the residents that his committee was appointed by the IEC secretary to execute the demarcation exercise and perform its function as outlined in section 5 of the Electoral Act.

A population quota for an administrative area was the main determining factor of the size of the polling district but consideration of some other factors, such as natural community of interest, means of communication, existing administrative boundaries, physical features, population density could also influence the magnitude of the polling district.

He said the committee was formed to take views from the public about the changes that they needed on their boundaries and polling stations.

Mr Senthumoleng told the residents that the information from their submissions wouldl assist his committee to determine, establish and name the polling stations in their area.

He further asked the residents to take the exercise seriously because their submissions would be used in the 2014 and 2019 general elections.

Mr Senthumuleng said Lobatse constituency remained as it was after their submissions to the Delimitation Commission. Lobatse has 12 council wards, 11 in the township and one in Lobatse farms, he added.

He said the last demarcation consultation was held in 2003 and its results were used in the 2004 and 2009 general elections. ENDS