Lehlohonolo Motšoari
In a crucial move to address existing challenges with the voters’ roll, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has confirmed that expired National ID cards will be accepted for voter re-registration.
The decision follows the IEC’s call for the public to urgently re-register to update the electors’ register database.
The IEC requires all citizens of Lesotho aged 18 and above to re-register at their respective constituency offices using their National ID cards.
The directive applies to first-time voters as well as those who initially registered with other forms of identification before the national ID was introduced.
“The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), informs the electorate, stakeholders, and the general public that it is in the process of updating the Elector’s Register Database.
The commission, therefore, requires the public (including those who previously registered using the National ID) to visit IEC offices in their respective constituencies to re-register themselves.
This re-registration of all eligible voters will only be done using the National Identification (ID) card, in accordance with Section 16 of the National Identity Card Act 9, of 2011,” IEC said this week.
The IEC has also encouraged the members of the public to use technology to submit their registration applications on the IEC registration portal found on the IEC website: http://www.iec.org.ls.
“The Commission is also aware of the urgency surrounding the production of new ID cards, therefore the public is also informed that expired cards are acceptable for the registration process, as the ID number and identity of a voter do not expire,” It added.
The acceptance of expired ID cards is particularly significant given the challenges the Ministry of Home Affairs has faced in producing new IDs.
The Ministry recently highlighted these challenges during a presentation before the National Assembly Portfolio Committee, revealing that many IDs issued in 2014 are set to expire, compounding the production challenges and posing a significant obstacle for citizens needing valid identification to access services.
Thabiso Lekitla, a Member of Parliament (MP) for Mekaling constituency, even proposed a motion to allow the use of expired ID cards due to these production issues, though the motion was not ultimately adopted.
The IEC’s announcement may now compel the government to revisit this issue to ensure all citizens can participate in the electoral process and access essential services without hindrance.
Additionally, the IEC encourages the use of their online registration portal at IEC Online Portal to facilitate the re-registration process.
