By Majirata Latela
By elections in five constituencies and 44 electoral divisions may not see the light of day if the ministry of finance’s financial controller’s communication to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is anything to go by.
A savingram dated June 3 2021 from the financial controller, which was responding to the IEC’s request for funds to prepare for and hold by-elections in July, basically tells the IEC to forget about by elections.
“Your office is kindly informed to note that the budget for by- elections was not included in the 2021/2022 budget estimates. Therefore, our recommendation is that IEC should begin preparations for the 2022 general elections,” reads the savingram.
Commenting on the savingram today, IEC public relations officer, Tuoe Hantši, told theReporter that the savingram has caught them by surprise because as far as they know, by- elections are not budgeted for but are rather financed from thecontingency budget.
He showed that according to the National Assembly Elections Act of 2011 (section 38), the IEC still has enough time to hold the elections and it is against the Constitutional not to fill those vacancies.
He however indicated that IEC commissioners will at this moment have to take the matter up with a higher authority in government.
IEC in March announced plans to hold the by-elections, with Hantši stating that the commission was finalising the budgeting and preparations. The electoral body plans to hold local government and National Assembly by-elections concurrently.
The by-elections are now overdue in the five constituencies of Makhoroana, Maliepetsane, Thupa Kubu, Mohale’s Hoek and Kolo. The constituencies are currently without representation following the deaths of their legislators between 2019 and 2021.
Four of the deceased legislators Lefu Hlomelang (Makhoroana), Mpalipali Molefe (Maliepetsane), Afrika Makakane (Thupa Kubu) and Sentje Lebona (Mohale’s Hoek) were all from the main ruling All Basotho Convention.
The late Kolo constituency MP, Putsoane Leeto, was a member of the Democratic Congress.
