On 14 March 2001, Lesotho's Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced the country's long awaited general elections will be held in 2002. The IEC chairman, Hon. Leshele Thoahlane announced that eligible voters would be able to register to vote between 13 August and 9 September 2001 at 1300 registration centres across the country. The final voters' list is expected to be completed by the end of January 2002. Thoahlane has declared that at least five months were needed before the registration period to allow for the purchase and dissemination of voter manuals, training materials and registration equipment and, moreover, to conduct a country-wide voter education campaign.