Development for Peace Education (DPE) and Bacha Re Bacha Youth Forum (BRB) held a training workshop on youth registration to equip 31 field mobilizers from two organization with skills and strategies to mobilize for voter registration of young people from 10 Districts in Lesotho, to also define scope of the assignment and define working modalities with the Independent Electoral Commission. This workshop took place on 12th of December 2024 Maseru with the help of Civic Engagement through European Partnership for Democracy.
On behalf of EU Head of Cooperation to Lesotho Mario Giuseppe Varrenti stated this project is extremely important as it will assist the youth as the future generation to feel grateful to be involved in the development of the country. Adding that, this will also encourage those who suffer electoral apathy to be prepared for future elections and to also uplift those who are already enthusiastic about elections. He highlighted that even though elections come and go, registration is an ongoing process therefore people need to be consistently be reminded about the importance of elections and their responsibilities as the electorates. Adding that, there should not be a break after elections.
On behalf of Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Nthallo Letšela said that IEC mandate is to ensure that all citizens of the country at the age 18 and above to register with IEC. She stated that there are challenges with the current voters roll such as people appearing more than once on the roll and the names of the deceased are still on the voters roll. She pointed that in order to create a clean voters roll IEC has found it necessary to re-register citizens using their National Identity. Adding that, this can be done on IEC website online or by visiting the nearest IEC station.
The workshop was facilitated by IEC.
