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NOMINEES, RENTED VOTERS TO BE NAMED AND SHAMED

By Nozipho Sibiya | 2018-08-16

ASPIRING Members of Parliament who will be caught buying votes during the primary elections face disqualification.

Traffic police have also been put on high alert to check public transport on the day of the elections to ensure that no rented voters were being moved from one point to another. In the event the rented voters are found, they would be dragged out of the buses by police. This transpired yesterday during a workshop for election nominees from the Southern Hhohho region.

Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) Commissioner Ncumbi Maziya openly told the aspiring MPs who had been forcing people to register at registration stations away from the people’s chiefdoms to stop that as it was going to catch up with them during the primary elections.

This was during the Southern Hhohho election nominees workshop held at MDS High School yesterday. Hhohho Regional Administrator Prince Tshekedi was part of the attendees.

Maziya said there would be imisumpe to help confirm the identities of people who will be voting and those who do not have identity cards. Primary elections are scheduled for next weekend, August 25.

Maziya said it has reached their offices that there were people who have been paid by the aspirant nominees to register where the aspiring MPs will stand for the elections.

“This is against the election laws and those committing such acts will be dealt with accordingly,” he said, further stating that traffic police will be tasked to check all public transport that will be ferrying people to the different polling stations.

He also mentioned that voters will be scanned before voting.

“Sitabahudvula ngemisila naba labagangako,” he said, meaning that those who will be found to have taken voters from other areas would be exposed. The commissioner further mentioned that campaigning during primary elections was illegal, so people must desist from it. He said buying votes would result in aspiring MP being disqualified. The commissioner warned aspiring MPs to ensure that they were fairly elected into Parliament, saying winning elections through buying votes erodes one’s credibility and integrity.

“Your own constituency will not respect you if you are elected through corrupt practices. The same applies to your colleagues in Parliament - they will not respect you,” he said.

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