Reaboka Mbulawa, a prominent contender for the Maun East Parliamentary seat from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), has expressed the party’s goal to register a minimum of 15,000 potential voters before the conclusion of the current voter registration exercise.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) commenced registration on Friday, January 5, 2024, and is scheduled to close the process in February 2024.
In an interview on Sunday, Mbulawa emphasized that their registration targets encompass a diverse demographic, including general voters, youth, and party veterans. Mbulawa stated, “The intention is to register all our eligible voters. From our historical voter rolls, we know we have the numbers, and we want every Democrat to register at the earliest opportunity.”
Highlighting the initial success of the registration drive, Mbulawa mentioned that on the first day, they managed to register around one thousand potential voters, including “councillors, aspirant councillors, their immediate families, myself, and my spouse.”
During the last general elections in October 2019, Maun East saw over 15,000 people register.
The constituency was won by Goretetse Kekgonegile of the Umbrella for Democratic Change, securing 7,739 votes against 7,112 received by Kostantino Markus of the BDP.
“We are energized, fired up, and motivated to mobilize our base. Our supporters are ready and eager to register, understanding that a victory begins with the numbers on the IEC voters’ roll. It is 2024, and every action we take leads us towards Election Day.”