DISABLED MUST ENJOY EQUAL  ELECTORAL RIGHTS

The Independent Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mafole Sematlane says the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is faced with a challenge of ensuring that the disabled persons enjoy equal electoral and political rights as the able bodied persons, in the next elections. 

Speaking at a press conference held at the IEC offices, on Friday 11 October,2002 Mr. Sematlane strongly emphasised that any type of disability does not mean incapability. He  therefore stressed that  people with disabilities must be given opportunities to utilise their skills and talents at any stage of the electoral process without distinction on the basis of  intellectual, physical, psychiatric, sensory or any other kind of disability.

The Commissioner pointed out that he had not been aware, until he participated at a global workshop recently in Sweden on Universal Electoral Rights of People with Disability, that the disabled persons are the most truthful and honest people especially the blind because they always believe that  what they are given is right yet they do not see it. He indicated that this are the kind of people who are needed in every structure of the IEC to assist in reducing problems that are always brought about in the electoral process by people who are always not prepared to accept the realities of the process.

Mr. Sematlane  indicated that he has learnt from the workshop that they as the IEC and the government have to improve electoral facilities to accommodate full participation of the disabled, on general terms of equality, in the conduct of elections. He added that the government and the IEC have the obligation to take affirmative and effective measures to ensure that citizens with disability enjoy electoral rights and have opportunity to exercise their political rights on the basis of equality.

A member of the Lesotho National League of the Visual Impaired Persons, Mr. Molato Khetsi who formed part of the Lesotho delegation to the workshop said the workshop was a real eye opener as they realised from the workshop that Lesotho still has  a lot to improve  in order to ensure accessibility of elections to every citizen who has the right to vote. He said he leant from the general elections of Sweden which he had the opportunity to observe as part of the workshop exercise, that it is only on the basis of honesty and trustworthiness on the part of all election
stakeholders that elections succeed.

11 October, 2002.