Voters registration extended

Voter registration in Lesotho, in preparation for general elections next year, was extended for a further three weeks, SABC’s ‘Channel Africa’ reported on Monday. Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chairperson Leshele Thoahlane was quoted as saying that the extension was necessary because of technical and logistical problems which prevented a large number of eligible voters from registering during the set registration period.

According to the report, problems included delays in the delivery of registration materials to registration centres, confusion over the location of some centres, the depletion of registration materials and the behaviour of some registration staff which was considered to be in contravention of public service regulations. Thoahlane said the IEC had taken necessary steps to ensure efficient registration and that this included suspending some registration clerks.