IEC suppressing voters - BCP
Botswana Congress Party (BCP) Publicity Secretary Professor Mpho Pheko says the party is fighting voter suppression by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
Prof Pheko stated that the right to vote is sacrosanct in any democracy. She said expecting public servants to facilitate the conduct of elections that they themselves are excluded from borders on criminality.
“The BCP has a duty to protect their rights to vote. Polling staff cannot be made to choose between being paid (for polling staff) and exercise their right to vote. The Electoral Act is clear that the safety of the ballots has to be assured.
“It is democratic delinquency for the IEC to pronounce that a critical component of assurance, being polling agents will not be allowed to travel with the ballot boxes.
“After the BDP refused twice in the last Parliament to have counting done in polling stations; the IEC is duty bound to create a room for party agents to travel with ballot boxes,” Pheko said after the BCP filed an urgent application against the IEC.
BCP and its leader Dumelang Saleshando have filed an urgent application with the Maun High Court asking the court to declare that, the word ‘hard copy’ at Section 16 of the Electoral Act Cap 02:09 includes a soft copy as provided for in Section 10 of the Electronic Communications Transactions Act.
The BCP avers that to the extent that the Independent Electoral Commission interpreted the word “hard copy” at Section 16 of the Electoral Act not to include a soft copy, such interpretation is inconsistent with the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act and therefore liable to be set aside.
In the application the BCP demands among others that the IEC provides the Party with a digital copy of the amalgamated voters roll following suspicions of multiple registration; Publication of the amalgamated voters roll on the government website; the motor vehicle carrying ballot boxes to be accompanied by polling agents (inside the vehicle) and/or sandwiched between vehicles driven by polling agents of interested candidates; and the IEC to account for thousands of duplicates in the voters roll.
Prof Pheko said they are requesting the court to compel IEC to avail an electronic voters roll. She said their rapid audit of the voters roll has revealed multiple registration of some individuals in different polling stations.
She added, “as you would imagine, that is a tedious exercise when conducted manually. But we did it and have provided court with specific names registered multiple times.
“It is therefore necessary to undertake a comprehensive audit in these last few days if a credible poll is to be conducted.”