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40 PEOPLE DEMAND FRESH NOMINATIONS

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SITEKI – “We have been deprived of the opportunity to be nominated and to nominate.”


A total of 40 prospective voters and elections hopefuls under Mndobandoba area (near Big Bend), who missed out on nomination, have petitioned the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC).


The disgruntled residents are demanding that the outcome of the nomination exercise under Mndobandoba Royal Kraal be declared ‘null and void’.
Furthermore, they demand that the nomination exercise under the chiefdom should ‘start afresh’ before the Primary Elections slated for next weekend.


Complaint


In their formal complaint to the EBC, they have accused one particular elections officer, of allegedly flouting procedure during the nomination exercise.
“We were informed by our education officer that a total of 20 candidates were to be nominated for each category of the three, namely; Bucopho, Indvuna yeNkhundla and Member of Parliament. As we were eyeing the position of Indvuna yeNkhundla, we were surprised by the act of the presiding officer of the day, when he stopped the nomination of the Indvuna yeNkhundla category while there were only four nominees,” reads in part the petition to the EBC.


Presiding


According to the disgruntled elections hopefuls and prospective voters, they complained to the presiding officer and demanded to be given the opportunity to nominate their preferred candidates.
However, they allege that the presiding officer ignored them and instead proceeded to the nominations for the position of MP.


“Therefore, we appeal to the commission to order the exercise to start afresh. We also pray that a restart of the exercise would enable everyone to achieve his/her right to nominate (their preferred candidates),” further reads the complaint filed with the EBC.


EBC Chairman, Chief Gija, said he had not seen the petition filed by the disgruntled residents of Mndobandoba.
“Maybe it is still with the legal advisor,” said Chief Gija.
However, one of the people who signed the petition told this publication that the complaint was filed at the EBC Headquarters at Nkhanini (Lobamba) this past Monday.


To prove this, he showed this reporter ‘Elections Complaint forms’ which were given to them by EBC officials when they delivered the petition.
“Did you appeal the decision of the elections officer to the commission within 10 days of the decision? If not, why?” reads a question in the complaints form that was filled by the disgruntled residents of Mndobandoba.


They responded to the affirmative to the above question.
Meanwhile, Chief Gija said the disgruntled residents of Mndobandoba, just like any other registered voter, had a right to file a complaint with the commission if they felt that any activity of the elections process did not go well.


“The courts have even given us judges to deal with complaints about the elections,” he said.
One of the disgruntled elections hopefuls, who signed the petition, said they were hopeful that the EBC would deal with the complaints quickly before the Primary Elections slatted for next week.


“There are many people who are unhappy with the manner the nominations (under Mndobandoba Royal Kraal) were conducted. Only 40 signed the petition because of limited space, otherwise over 40 people want the whole exercise to be repeated,” he said.

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