Growing demands for electoral reforms

Lebogang Mosikare | Wednesday December 18, 2024 13:14

The demands were made at a recent Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) 2024 General Elections Evaluation Meeting in Francistown. The Principal Elections Officer of the IEC in Francistown, Itumeleng Gabaake, told the participants that the purpose of the meeting was to gather input from various stakeholders on how to enhance voting in Botswana.

During the stakeholders meeting, Karel Ludick, chairperson of the New Somerset Society, called on the powers that be to consider introducing electronic voting (e-voting). E-voting is whereby voters can vote from their home, in another country, or at a kiosk in a polling station provided that they had earlier registered to vote.

Ludick also said that he had observed that during the recent General Election in Botswana, polling stations in the Francistown South constituency were not conducive for People with Disabilities (PWDs) to exercise their constitutional right of voting for parties of their choice.

“There were no ramps for PWDs in all the polling stations that I visited in Francistown South. In addition, there were no sign language interpreters to facilitate communication between people who are deaf or hard of hearing and those who cannot hear. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the IEC to consider hiring sign language interpreters where possible during the next election. Not doing so will be undermining the constitutional rights of PWDs,” said Ludick.

Ludick’ sentiments were echoed by a representative of the Tru Man Trust, Bonang Moyo. Moyo reiterated that voting is a right that is enshrined in the Constitution of Botswana and therefore, the rights of every voter should be seriously taken into consideration. Other participants in the meeting also called for the counting of votes (for local government and parliament) at polling stations where they took place. There were also calls for the IEC to help people who are blind and partially sighted to vote.

Opposition parties, including the ruling UDC during its days in the opposition trenches, have long cried out for sweeping electoral reforms. They called for the integrity of election processes, political freedoms, media access, and security of the vote and the voter.

However, their calls were not successful partly because the then-ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which has been reduced into a minority party after performing dismally in the 2024 General Election, used its numerical superiority in parliament to thwart efforts by the opposition to enact some electoral reforms.

Scholars have also long called for electoral reforms in Botswana. In a paper entitled, “The need for electoral reform in Botswana” authored by Mpho Molomo, a professor of Politics at the University of Botswana (UB), the latter opines that there is a need for Botswana to adopt some electoral reforms.

Molomo says that Botswana has been operating a First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) electoral system since its independence from Britain in 1965. “Unlike other African countries, this system has not led to electoral violence or political instability. The system is not without its limitations, however. It lacks internal democracy and disadvantages opposition parties...” Molomo also stated that the FPTP system is credited for producing stable governments that are accountable and lead to an effective link between lawmakers and the people.

“Its feature of a single Member of Parliament (MP) constituency makes it clear whom the electorate should contact when they have a problem. The system also has inherent limitations in that it excludes opposition parties from government, and as such, lacks consensus building. Its winner-take-all phenomenon dilutes the most potent weapon that the electorate has – that is their vote – in shaping their political destiny. Moreover, this electoral system promotes a predominant party system, a feature that undermines the much-cherished ideal of multiparty democracy,” Molomo pointed out.

During a recent media briefing, the Minister for State Presidency, Moeti Mohwasa, said that they plan to adopt some electoral reforms after consultations with key stakeholders such as opposition parties among others. Mohwasa said that as per their manifesto, they had stated they would make reforms at the IEC amongst others including counting of ballots at the polling stations.

“We will meet with other parties in December to discuss electoral reforms. We will also look at the IEC mandate and make sure it is independent as we believe it is currently not. There are a few things we will look at,” said Mohwasa.