BDP election officers catch wrath of angry voters
Staff Writer | Tuesday July 30, 2024 11:20
While observing elections in Marapoathutwa Ward, The Monitor learnt that council candidates, whose names were not revealed to this publication, exchanged harsh words with election officials, even threatening to close down the polling station. The presiding officer in Marapoathutwa, Gaborone Bonnington North constituency, Seemo Barealotse revealed to The Monitor that council candidates in her ward displayed unruly behaviour against presiding officers, insulting them, and undermining the powers vested upon them by Tsholetsa House. “The candidates here are not cooperating with us as the electoral officers,” she revealed. “They are undermining our age and undermining the process.
They are angry because most voters are not appearing on the voters' roll.” Barelaotse further revealed to the Monitor that some voters refused to be turned away from the polling station when their names did not appear in the voters' roll. Before the elections in the Bonnington North constituency, incumbent councillor for Peolwane Block 7, Khumo Sebereko known politically as Sebex withdrew his candidacy for the region, citing a flawed voters' roll as his main deterrent from proceeding. He expressed displeasure that some Block 7 residents were missing from the voters’ roll and noted that even his wife and sister are incorrectly listed in Block 3 instead of Block 7 (Peolwane).
At Itekeng ward, Block 3 The monitor witnessed a physical altercation amongst voters who were complaining about how some council candidates were allowed to campaign in the queues leading to the voting station. This disagreement according to the disgruntled voters was due to the failure of electoral officers in ensuring stringent compliance to the electoral regulations. In other wards voters were grossly dissatisfied with their names missing from the voters' roll, oftentimes turning their anger to electoral officers, a classical case of shooting the messenger.