- UDC granted orders to monitor IEC registration
- Case to return to court on 7 November
LETLHOGILE MPUANG
The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) has been granted an interdict and a declaratory order against the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) ahead of voter registration for the 2024 general elections.
Yesterday morning, the UDC filed an urgent application before the Francistown High Court seeking an interdict against the IEC from obstructing, denying or preventing the opposition coalition’s registration observers access to polling stations throughout the registration period.
Interdicted and restrained
The order, which was granted in the evening yesterday (Tuesday), states: “Pending the final determination of an application determining the extent of the applicant’s constitutional right to observe and monitor national elections, which application is to be filed on or before the 7th November 2023, the respondent and any other party at all, is interdicted and restrained from preventing the applicants agents whose full particulars the applicant shall provide to respondent from observing and monitoring the national elections registration process scheduled to start on 1st November 2023.”
Full access
The order means the UDC observers, known as Madibela-Tlhopho, will be granted full access to monitor all proceedings and activities around the national elections registration process scheduled for 1st to 31st November 2023.
The UDC was represented by its president, Duma Boko, in the matter.
Meanwhile, the IEC has on several occasions stated that it does not recognise Madibela-Tlhopho because they are neither a person nor a group that is stated and defined in the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
Madibela-Tlhopho is an official UDC group or arrangement endorsed by the UDC national executive committee (NEC) and a project under the office of the UDC president. It describes its purpose as to guard against any chances of rigging in the 2024 general elections.