Opposition parties plan nationwide protests against IEC
Opposition parties are planning mass demonstrations against the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) across the nation to show their displeasure at certain actions and decisions made by the elections management body.
They claim that although political parties are an important stakeholder in the electoral process, the IEC has decided to leave them out in the dark.
Secretary General of the Botswana National Front (BNF), Ketlhalefile Motshegwa said at a press conference hosted by all opposition parties that Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) is attempting to rig the upcoming elections by emulating the electoral system of Zimbabwe, despite its questionable integrity.
Opposition parties including; the BNF, Alliance for Patriots (AP), Botswana Congress Party (BCP), Batswana Labour Party (BLP), Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) and Botswana People's Party (BPP), converged in a meeting that was themed, 'Mobilising for Transparent, Free, Fair and Credible Elections.'
Representatives from opposition political parties voiced their shared commitment to ensuring fair and democratic elections in Botswana.
They stressed the importance of transparency, fairness and credibility in the electoral process that is free from violence and intimidation, and called for reforms to ensure that every citizen's voice is heard and counted.
'The BDP's decision to benchmark from Zimbabwe, rather than more reputable countries, demonstrates their desire to manipulate the election process for their own benefit,' Motshegwa said.
Motshegwa noted that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has also raised concerns about the integrity of Zimbabwe's elections. Motshegwa called on IEC to reconsider its decision to benchmark from Zimbabwe.
Motshegwa expressed concern that President Mokgweetsi Masisi is trying to hold on to power by any means necessary, including resorting to violence hence the need to ensure that there will be free and fair elections.
In order to ensure that the upcoming elections are free, fair and credible, the opposition parties have developed a plan of action. 'We will mobilise the country for peaceful, credible, fair and transparent elections through a massive demonstration of our campaign,' Motshegwa said.
He also announced that they would invite members of the BDP to join their efforts and help spread the message. These initiatives demonstrate the opposition parties' commitment to creating a more democratic and accountable electoral process, and their willingness to work across party lines to achieve this goal.
The Minister of State President, Kabo Morwaeng has called for an All Party Conference this Friday. The Secretary General of the BCP, Goretetse Kekgonegile, stated that they will attend the event to address the issue of election rigging and to hear more on political party funding.
Kekgonegile criticised the short-sightedness of the government, which is focused on winning elections rather than the long-term consequences of their actions.
'This is bad governance,' Kekgonegile said, emphasising the need for a more responsible approach to elections and politics.
Kekgonegile said that beyond the demonstrations, they will come up with more actions that will ensure that the IEC responds positively to their demands. He clarified that although opposition parties are a united front in fighting the IEC, it is not practical for local parties to unite into one as they all serve different pockets of the society.
Reached for a comment, BDP spokesperson, Kagelelo Kentse explained to Botswana Guardian that there needs to be an understanding of roles of a political parties and roles of the IEC. He explained that the BDP does not run elections, they are run by IEC.
“In the history of this country there is no single report that has suggested that our elections are not fair, not free from violence or not peaceful including the 2019 ones,” Kentse explained.
Kentse pointed out that the blame is on the UDC and their failure to accept their loss in 2019 and started a smear campaign to discredit the elections. Something he calls very unfortunate and immature decision.
“As the BDP we can only commit that as usual we will engage in peaceful elections. The responsibility of conducting free, fair and transparent elections lies with the IEC and we do not have any doubts in the IEC, if we do we will raise it,” he said.
Kentse noted that the separation of responsibilities between IEC and BDP must never be blurry. He said they are aware that the opposition is planning post elections violence should they lose in October. That is why they are busy spreading lies and propaganda that elections will be rigged.
He however noted that the opposition parties cannot use deception anymore because what they promised in 2019 were deceptive and manipulative promises and they have run out of ideas.