VOTERS WAIT FOR COUNTING OF BALLOT PAPERS
Voters at Ha Pokane Bereka-Church polling station in Butha-Buthe were waiting patiently outside the polling station yard. In an interview, one of the women, Mrs 'Mateboho Temoho, said they waited until the ballot papers were counted, adding that they wanted to witness when the ballot boxes leave the polling station, and taken to the constituency centre. She said, they want nothing to happen to the ballot boxes, and want to see every step so that they would not be cheated.
The Presiding Officer displaying a sealed ballot box to the Party Agents
before counting can begin. (pic. M.Kheleli)
The Pokane polling station Presiding Officer, Mrs 'Masechaba
Makhalemele,said they started one hour after the opening time because there
were some equipment that was missing, adding that she had to collect it from
the constituency centre at Serutle.
Mrs Makhalemele also indicated that some ballot boxes will no longer be
closed with the yellow seal as planned because it was finished, but padlocks
will be used for sealing purposes. The counting of ballot papers
started at 17h00 on 25 May, immidiately after voting. After that the
counted ballots will be transported to the constituency centres where ballot
papers from polling stations will be added together. Meanwhile at the time
of going to press provisional results are already being announced at the
Results Centre set up at the Lesotho National Convention Center.Official
results will be posted in due course.
Ballot papers on the table and ready for counting, notice Party Agents on the
background. (pic. M.Kheleli)
26 MAY 2002