Constitution_Of_Botswana.TXT
office.
[Ch0000s67] 67. The franchise
(1) A person who(a)
is a citizen of Botswana or of any other country to which this
section is applied by Parliament;
18 of 1997, s. 4(a). (b)
has attained the age of 18 years; and
(c)
has either resided in Botswana for a continuous period of at least
12 months immediately preceding the date on which he or she applies for registration
as a voter or was born in Botswana and is domiciled in Botswana on the date on which
he or she applies for registration as a voter,
shall, unless he or she is disqualified for registration as a voter under any law,
be entitled, upon his or her making application in that behalf at such time and in
such manner as may be prescribed by any law, to be registered as a voter for the
purposes of elections of Elected Members of the National Assembly, and no other
person may be so registered.
(2) A person who has not continuously resided in Botswana for the period
mentioned in paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of this section but has during the
whole period retained his or her residence (or if he or she has more than one
residence, his or her principal residence) in Botswana and has been absent therefrom
for some temporary purpose only shall be deemed for the purposes of the said
paragraph (c) to have been resident in Botswana during such absence.
(3) A person shall be entitled to be registered as a voter(a)
in the constituency in which he or she has his or her residence, or
if he or she has more than one residence in Botswana in the constituency in which he
or she has his or her principal residence; or
18 of 1997, s. 4(b). (b)
in the case of a person who does not have a
residence in Botswana but is able to register in person, in the constituency in
which he or she last resided, or in which he or she was born; or
18 of 1997, s. 4(b). (c)
in the case of a person who is not resident
in Botswana and is unable to register in person, at such place as may be prescribed
by Parliament and registration at such place shall be treated as registration in the
constituency in which he or she last resided, or in which he or she was born in
Botswana.
(4) A person shall be entitled to be registered as a voter in one
constituency only.
(5) Every person who is registered in any constituency as a voter for the
purposes of elections of the Elected Members of the National Assembly shall, unless
he or she is disqualified by Parliament from voting in such elections on the grounds
of his or her having been convicted of an offence in connection with the elections
or on the grounds of his or her having been reported guilty of such an offence by
the court trying an election petition or on the grounds of his or her being in
lawful custody at the date of the election, be entitled so to vote in that
constituency in accordance with the provisions made by or under a law in that
behalf; and no other person may so vote.
[Ch0000s68] 68. Tenure of office of Members
(1) The seat of an Elected Member or a Specially Elected Member of the
National Assembly shall become vacant(a)
upon the dissolution of Parliament;
(b)
if he or she is absent from the sittings of the Assembly for such
period and in such circumstances as may be prescribed in the rules of procedure of
the Assembly;
(c)
subject to the provisions of subsections (2) to (3) of this section,
if any circumstances arise that, if he or she were not a Member of the Assembly,
would cause him or her to be disqualified for election thereto.
(2) If circumstances such as are referred to in paragraph (c) of the
preceding subsection arise in relation to a Member of the Assembly by virtue of the
fact that he or she is declared insolvent, adjudged to be of unsound mind, sentenced
to death or imprisonment, or convicted of an election offence and it is open to the
Member to appeal against the decision (either with the leave of the court or other
authority or without such leave), he or she shall forthwith cease to perform his or
her functions as a Member of the Assembly but, subject to the next following
subsection, he or she shall not vacate his or her seat until the expiration of a
period of 30 days thereafter:
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