Letsatsi Selikoe 

THE Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is preparing to update the national voters roll, which has previously created ?discord in the national electoral process. ?? 

The update project will see the registration of new voters and re-registration of those already registered using the national ID card. 

However, the call has sparked concern as thousands of Basotho are yet to be issued with national IDs. 

Compounding matters now, is the fact that the National Identity and Civil Registration arm of the?Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police, is unable to issue Basotho with IDs. 

The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police spokesperson, ‘Marelebohile Mothibeli, told the?Sunday Express?that presently, they could not issue eligible Basotho with IDs. 

She could not even commit to when the problem would be resolved. 

In its announcement, the electoral commission said, “IEC informs the electorate, stakeholders and Basotho in general, that it is in the process of updating the Voter Register Database. The commission therefore requires Basotho to visit its offices in their respective offices to re-register themselves. 

“This re-registration of all eligible voters will be done using the national identity card (ID), in accordance with the National Identity Card, 2011. 

“A citizen of Lesotho who is 18 years and above qualifies to register as an elector and must provide a national ID as the only form of identity.” 

The call for re-registration, the IEC said, included first-time voters and already registered voters, who had used other forms of identity before introduction of the national ID. 

The electoral commission also noted that it was aware of the urgency surrounding the production of new ID cards. 

The nation was therefore informed that “expired cards are acceptable for the registration process, as the identity and number of a voter do not expire”. 

Speaking to the?Sunday Express?recently, IEC’s Senior Marketing and Communications Manager, Tuoe Hants’i, said that all citizens were required to visit IEC offices “with only their national identity documents”. 

The move was aimed ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the voter register. 

“The move is aimed at ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the electoral register, which is a crucial step in this democratic process. The IEC wants to ensure that the register reflects the current demographic makeup of the country, free from errors and duplicates,” Mr Hants’i said. 

However, the announcement has raised concerns among citizens, particularly those who do not have national identity documents. 

According to statistics, a significant number of Basotho still do not possess ID cards. 

However, it is critical for the IEC to start its voter register from scratch, as it was declared defective in 2011. Despite that declaration, the IEC has held the 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2022 elections using the same register.? 

That led to the electoral commission coming under a barrage of political attacks and heavy criticism for its handling of electoral processes. Some quarters of society even accused the IEC of being biased towards certain political parties. 

Mr Hants’i, therefore, said updating the voter register database should be seen, as a step towards ensuring transparency and accountability in the electoral process. 

To facilitate the verification process, the IEC had set up special desks at its offices where citizens can update their information, he said. 

Mr Hants’i also assured Basotho that their personal information would be kept confidential and only be used for electoral purposes. 

“We want to assure citizens that their information will be kept safe and secure. We just need to ensure that whoever votes in this country, is indeed a Lesotho citizen. And it’s only through registering using the national ID, that we can be sure of that,” Mr Hants’i said. 

“We are committed to protecting their privacy and ensuring that their information is only used for electoral purposes.” 

The update of the electors’ register database was expected to take several months. 

“We are very much aware of the current ID situation. However, considering the length of time the data update is estimated to take, we hope that when we finish with the current ID holders, those who don’t have IDs now will be in possession of theirs,” Mr Hants’i said. 

For her part, home affairs spokesperson Mothibeli, admitted that her ministry was aware of the lack of IDs. She was, however, non-committal about when they would start issuing the documents. 

“The Ministry of Home Affairs is aware of the concerns raised by citizens regarding the unavailability of national identity documents.?At present, we are not issuing any new IDs, and we cannot provide a specific time at which the issue will be resolved,” Ms Mothibeli said.