Party membership card not appropriate identification, voter turned back

Electoral staff in Wailili a Baucau Sub-District, turned away an elderly woman who presented her political party’s membership card instead of the required identification at the recent Parliamentary elections (7July, 2012).

“Today I asked her to go home and come back with her electoral card so she could vote,” said Polling Staff, Julião Gusmão Belo, at the Wailili Voting Station   (07/07), in Baucau.

According to him, the voter presented her party membership card because she didn’t understand. 
Bernardino Gusmão one of the officers said this happened because the parties didn’t go to the remote rural areas to inform their members adequately. 

“Political parties doing door to door campaigning must get to each household to inform people on how to vote and they can explain the process for those who do not know,” said the official.

According to him, the law clearly states voters must use the electoral card or any other form of suitable identification to vote, but not their political party’s membership card.

Fernando Clau Soares a militant for FRETILIN said their party had explained the system to everyone on how to vote.

“For those who need more help we told them to just show their militant card at the polling centre and that someone there would help them figure out what they needed to do,” he said.